First Day of My Life
by rectanglecurve
Summary: AU-All Human. Stepsiblings Alice and Emmett move to a new high school, where Edward, Jasper, Bella, Rosalie, and others all attend. New friendships and love begins. However, drama ensues. T to M mostly for language currently.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at fanfic. So forgive me if it completely blows! I have a general idea where I'm taking it, but currently, I'm just playing it as it goes. I don't have a strict itinerary.

Background: Stepsiblings Alice and Emmett move to a new school, where Edward, Jasper, Bella, Rosalie, and others all attend.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight

APOV

I rolled out of bed. My neck was absolutely stiff. A 12 hour car ride was definitely not conducive for comfortable sleeping. My usually burst of energy remained latent as I groaned at the sound of my blaring alarm clock. I punched a fist into the little contraption on my nightstand.

I glanced around my room. Half my belongings were still stuffed away in boxes. I launched into the first piece of cardboard I saw.

_Sweet._

By chance, I somehow managed to find all my designer denim on the first try. Put me on fucking Deal or No Deal, seriously. I grabbed the top pair, indigo cigarette jeans, and slid them on immediately.

Now, for shirts. I randomly picked out another box.

_Shit._

I threw aside a copy of _A Sun Also Rises_, my favorite book that was resting on the stack of books in the box. I tried a few more times unsuccessfully. After a series of attempts, I managed to find my shirts and my makeup. I threw on a fitted black scoopneck, rinsed my face, smudged on some eyeliner and mascara, and grabbed a white summerweight cashmere cardigan. I brushed my teeth while throwing all my notebooks and pencils into an oversized black Prada tote. I slipped on a pair of white flip flops sitting by our front door before calling out at the top of my lungs:

"EM! Get down here!"

I heard him thunder down the stairs before I saw him barrel towards me. My step-brother, Emmett, had the frame of a football player or rather, a grizzly bear. His sandy curls flopped as he charged towards the front door. His dimpled grin seemed almost too excessive for this early in the morning.

Our looks only confirmed the truth; there was no way Emmett and I were actually related. His six-and-a-half foot frame towered over my diminutive five-feet. My delicate angular features were nothing like his strong rounded ones. He had tanned weathered skin while I was fair and porcelain-like.

It came as quite a shock to me when my mother announced her engagement to Emmett's dad. She met him on a business trip to _Florida_, no less. We packed up our penthouse New York apartment and traveled out to where his new job relocated him: Chicago. Emmett and I had grown accustomed to each other throughout their whole courtship and relied on each other during the move. Despite our differences, we got along well. He always emerged as my bodyguard, while I served as his voice of reason and personal stylist.

Emmett grabbed his backpack and we strolled out of our new house. We lived in the suburbs of Chicago in a relatively large house even in my opinion and I have some pretty hefty standards. And now, today was our first day of school at this foreign new suburban school. Nothing like the hoity toity single-sex private school I attended in Manhattan.

I hoisted myself up into the front seat of Emmett's black Jeep Wrangler.

"Ready, kid?" he said as he buckled up.

"Does it matter?" I replied grimly.

"Thought you might say that. Check the back seat."

I did. My eyes widened and I grinned for the first time this morning.

"Em! You shouldn't have!"

He smiled back at me as I snatched up one of a half dozen Red Bulls cluttering his back seat. I popped the can and took a large gulp. Ahhh, just the little energy boost I need to get my Alice energy back.

EmPOV

I stared in wonderment as I watched Alice start on her second can of Red Bull in five minutes. Usually, she was naturally a ball of energy. I felt today most of that energy would be forced.

I pulled into the school parking lot. It was only a ten minute drive from home. Alice chucked her second can out the window and grabbed two more to stuff in her purse.

"Take it easy with those. You're going to be crashing by lunch."

"I'm fine," she snapped.

She hopped out of the car and slammed the door shut. She skipped off to class with a quick bye. I felt a lot of stares on us. No doubt we looked like the odd couple. I stuff my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants and shuffled off to class.

My first hour was AP English. Fucking hell. Throw me a fucking bone here. It could have at least been a gym class. I sat down in the first empty desk. Everyone was chatting away with each other about their summer adventures. The boy next to me turned to face me. His copper hair was so disheveled even I thought so.

"So, you're new."

He didn't ask it. He simply stated it.

"Yup."

"I'm Edward."

"Emmett."

"Well, Emmett, watch out that girl over there, Jessica Stanley, is going to pounce on you within the next ten minutes."

He nodded his head towards a girl with brown hair and a thin face who was eying me with a little too much interest.

"Uh, okay." I wasn't so sure what to respond with.

"Just a heads up, bro."

He gave me a crooked smile and turned back to a blond boy sitting on the other side of him. The blond boy was in the midst of making a brunette laugh. Her long chestnut hair reflected the fluorescent lighting when she threw her hair back in laughter. Her brown eyes sparkled with intensity and her full lips were pulled back into a full-on grin. When she bent forward, I caught a glimpse of her cleavage in the V-neck green t-shirt she was wearing.

_Damn. Hot._

She lightly rested her hand on the blond boy's hand as she listened to Edward talk.

_Shit. Boyfriend?_

Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find the girl, Jessica standing next to my desk, staring intently at me.

"Hi, I noticed you are new. I'm Jessica Stanley. I just wanted to welcome you."

"Uh, I'm Emmett McCarty," I said shifting uncomfortably in my desk.

"Where are you from?"

"I moved here from Florida with my dad's new wife and her daughter."

"Wow. Do you know your schedule? I could probably help you navigate your way around."

I quickly mumbled my classes to her.

"Oh! We have AP Biology together, too. I'll walk with you to Bio next hour."

"Thrilling."

She didn't seem to catch my sarcasm, because she ran back giddily to her seat when the bell rang.

I listened to the teacher drone on for nearly an hour about our syllabus this year and preparing us for AP tests and other useless information. School was never my forte. How I managed to get into so many AP classes was a mystery to me. I had a feeling that it had to do with my dad, though. He always insisted that I _challenge_ myself. Apparently, that couldn't be done through athletics in his opinion.

When the bell rang, I immediately stood up hoping to escape before Jessica could walk me to my next hour. I managed to avoid her long enough to find Alice in the halls.

"Hey."

"Hi!"

Looks like she got her Alice back with the little help of some energy drinks.

"We have class together now, Em!"

"I know, Al."

We walked through the halls somehow easily finding our way around. Apparently, not easily enough though, because I recognized Edward already sitting down at a table with the blond boy. The brunette was no longer with them.

He recognized me and gestured for me to join them at the four person table. Apprehensively, Alice and I approached.

"This is Alice, my step-sister."

She smiled. Edward looked at her appraisingly and the blond boy nodded in acknowledgement.

"Alice, I'm Edward, and this is Jasper."

Jasper offered up a smile this time. We set our stuff down and took a seat.

"Hey! I couldn't find you after English!"

Jessica has somehow materialized next to the table. Edward and Jasper smirked knowingly. Alice's eyes widened in curiosity.

"Oh, sorry. I met up with my sister."

I gestured to Alice and she grinned.

"Oh."

Jessica slumped away dejectedly.

"Em, what was that about?"

Edward smoothly interjected.

"Well, Jessica, a girl from our English class, has taken the liberty to show your brother around today."

Jasper chuckled.

"You could have let her down easier, Emmett," Alice said concerned.

"Sorry, you know me, brash and sometimes insensitive when it comes to women."

Edward and Jasper laughed.

"It's okay. She's used to rejection by now," Jasper said before nudging Edward with his elbow.

"You're one to talk, dude."


	2. Chapter 2

JPOV

I punched Edward in the arm. The big new guy, Emmett, laughed, and the girl he was with, his half-sister, Alice or something, giggled. I glanced at her.

_She's cute_.

Her raven black hair was in a pixie cut. Very fitting considering she was very pixie-esque. Her petite little frame shook when she laughed. She revealed a set of pearly, sparkling teeth. Her grey eyes twinkled when she smiled. I could definitely get to know this girl.

Fucking finally, too. I was exhausting my female resources at school. I had already dated Bella Swan and Rosalie Hale, the two fucking hottest chicks at school. My "relationship" with Bella hardly counted. It was back in elementary school, where going out consisted of holding hands and the occasional peck on the cheek. Bella's been my neighbor since birth. Our families grew up together. Our moms were pregnant at the same time, went to all the same classes, and all of that shit. Very Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She really developed an intimate platonic relationship with me rather than romantic. She's my closest friend. In seventh grade, Rosalie moved to our school. She and Bella became instant friends. I met her at Bella's house one day, and I immediately became her latest conquest. Though not supermodel gorgeous like she is now, Rosalie was still pretty hot especially by middle school standards meaning she had a cute face and more importantly, boobs. We dated for approximately two months. Nothing too serious. Just frequent make out sessions and one hand job. We had a friendly break up that resulted in friendship. Except during freshman year, through a chain of random marriages, Rosalie had somehow ended up my cousin. We liked to hold hands and propagate rumors of an incestuous relationship among the student body, which was willing to eat up any controversy.

Edward moved to our school in eighth grade. I extended a hand of friendship to the quiet kid. Rosalie, of course, became instantly infatuated with him. Nearly every girl did. He was deep and brooding with picture perfect looks and not to mention extremely messy "I just rolled out of bed" brass colored hair that girls seemed to find adorable. Of course, he only continued to win them over with his ability to sing and play piano and write music besides his talent for poetry and general wooing. Unfortunate for the female population at our school, Edward was into mature women, dating a high schooler in eighth grade and college girls when he entered high school. However, these days he's been particularly cryptic, but his secrecy can't evade me. I know him too well for that. He's now my closest guy friend and wing man. Only Bella rivals him in my friendship.

I watched the little girl as she stared a little at Edward.

_Of course._

What girl didn't fall in love with Edward, honestly? Sometimes, for very, very brief moments, I regret his move to here. I knew I was attractive by anyone's standards but Edward emanated this sensitivity that sucked in girls from every direction. Like a fucking black hole for women.

The bell rang, and Mr. Banner stalked into the classroom. I'm convinced that man had the shittiest high school experience and was still bitter about it. He was constantly looking for ways to sabotage high school happiness.

"Class, we're doing a lab today to start off the year. So, partner up while I take roll."

Instinctively, Edward nudged my arm gently. I gave him a "duh" look. The new kids decided to be partners obviously.

"Alice Brandon?"

Alice raised her hand.

"Here!" her voice chimed out, beautifully and clearly.

"A new student?"

"Yessir."

"Well, in that case, I'm sure Whitlock would be ecstatic to show you the ropes in this lab."

He nodded his head toward me. I gave him a saccharine smile, but internally thanked him. Banner had unknowingly given me a great opening.

"Oh, but sir, I al--"

"No buts about it, dear."

He walked off to continue roll. Alice offered me a defeated smile and gently rubbed Emmett's arm.

"Cullen?"

Edward grunted out in annoyance, considering Banner had just shipped off his lab partner. After listening to Banner drone out a few more names, he came to another unfamiliar name.

"Emmett McCarty. Another new student?"

_McCarty? Wasn't her last name Brandon? Oh yeah, half siblings._

"Yeah."

Banner walked back over to our table.

"Well, Cullen here would be thrilled to be your lab partner," he spat.

Edward flashed his signature crooked grin. I saw Alice straighten up and glance at him. Banner rolled his eyes, clearly familiar to the famous Edward Cullen smile. He probably got used to it when he had Edward all last year schooling his ass in every aspect of biological science. Edward was a genius pretty much. He had his sights set on med school, following in the footsteps of Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I definitely didn't have Edward's intellect, but I was good at memorization and smarter than the average student. I was banking on my superior soccer skills and above average grades and test scores to get me into my choice school.

I listened to Banner review the lab procedures and go over the outline of the lab. I made a few mental notes. More so, I was making a game plan to get to know the little sprite sitting across from me. Banner dismissed us to get to work. Alice went to collect the materials while I set up our lab station. This lab was completely basic. After spending so much time at the Cullen household, Carlisle always had Edward and I help him out with a few things. When he wasn't off saving someone's life, being a perfect husband to Esme or ideal father to Edward, Carlisle was down in their basement converted into a laboratory trying to discover new things about science.

I smiled as she watched back towards me with her arms full of equipment. She delicately placed everything down at our station.

APOV

I watched Jasper as I came back over. He was smiling at me. He had a lazy smile. His shaggy blond hair was slightly brushed into his eyes. I wanted to push it aside, because I could see beneath the layer of hair, he had gorgeous blue eyes. He was definitely very attractive. Different than Edward.

_Edward._

Wow, that boy was a spitting image of perfection. He had beautiful green eyes and wonderfully messy copper hair. Not to mention perfect bone structure. Plus, he seemed to have super-sensitivity to him.

I made a mental note to thank Emmett for befriending the two most attractive guys I had laid eyes on. It was unfortunate I couldn't be paired with Edward, but Jasper would have to do. I mean, he was for sure cute enough.

"Sorry, about Banner. He can be such a dick sometimes. I swear he's out to destroy any happiness evident in high school. I know you can't be partners with your brother, but you'll just have to put up with me."

He smiled again at me.

"Stepbrother," I corrected.

I always had to make the distinction. Emmett and I were close and sometimes that bond seemed like it was in blood, but we still were half siblings. It really didn't have to do with Emmett, but the fact, I could not acknowledge his dad as my dad. There was nothing really wrong with him, but after my dad died when I was eight, I couldn't…I wouldn't have another father.

"And I think I'll manage."

I returned the smiled.

Jasper immediately started doing tons of intricate work without every having to glance at the lab handout. I could barely track his progress.

"Wow. You're awfully good at this."

"I've learned a lab or two in my day."

"I just didn't take you for the studious type."

"Oh? Really? And what did you take me for?"

"Uh, I don't know, more like I-set-Olympic-Record-times-on-the-track-without-breaking-a-sweat-or-taking-off-my-aviators-while-flocks-of-fangirls-vie-for-my-attention," I rattled off.

He laughed. It was a deep, sexy laugh. I liked it.

"Close but change track to soccer field," he joked.

I giggled.

"Soccer is much more strategic, which is what I prefer. I get to make a battle plan every time I go out and play."

"Well, maybe I will have to go to one of your games sometime."

"I think you will have to."

"Jeez, between Emmett's football games and your soccer games, I won't have anytime for myself. And sporting events are totally not my thing."

"Don't worry. They're fun."

He winked.

"Eh, let's hope so."

"So, Emmett's playing football?"

"I assume so. He was the star quarterback and captain at his old school."

"Really? Quarterback?"

"He's much more agile than he looks."

"Well, he'll have to compete with our current quarterback, Jacob Black. Black's also built like Emmett. Plus, he has animalistic strength and speed. I heard the coach saying he might have Black play wide receiver instead, though. So Emmett might have a chance."

"Oh, don't worry. He's good enough."

"You seem to know an awful lot about football for someone whose thing is not sporting events."

"I picked up a lot listen to Emmett and my step dad talk at the dinner table."

"Then, what is your thing, may I ask?"

"Clothes."

He looked at me with a puzzled face.

"I like fashion. I want to be a fashion designer."

"Hm, that's cool. Let me guess. Earnest Sewn jeans and Splendid top?"

My mouth went slack. He snickered.

"I know a little bit about clothes, too."

I regained my composure.

"Actually, J Brand and James Perse."

He raised his hands in feigned defense.

"Apparently not enough, though."

"How?"  
"How what?"

"How do you know that? Those brands…"

"I pick up on these things with a mom like mine."

"I'm impressed to say the least."

He set down the beaker he was holding and started to walk over to the trash can with a handful of dirty paper towels and eyedroppers. As his lean form strode past me, he paused and leaned close to my ear, his hair brushing my cheek.

"And to say the most?" he whispered.

His hot breath tickled my ear, and I shivered in delight as he walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Twilight_.

EPOV

I watched Jasper as he flirted with the new girl and silently laughed to myself. He knew exactly how to work a girl. He could definitely be a heartbreaker sometimes. I mean, he had stunner good looks and was a prodigy soccer player. A high school heartthrob in every category. Plus, he was smart. He worked hard and was well-read and articulate. He reveled in his capability to get girls unlike me.

I was too busy being utterly in love with a girl that had absolutely no idea. I stalked her existence, doted on her every move, clung onto every word that left her wonderful lips all with her none the wiser. Oh, she knew I existed. That wasn't the problem. She just didn't know I spent the majority of my days fantasizing about her in innocent and not-so-innocent ways. Maybe if it hadn't taken me until this summer to realize I was in love with her, Bella and I might have been together. Every girl I've encountered has had a crush on me at some point. Maybe if I hadn't been so into cougars back when I'd first come here, I would have been more hellbent on sweeping that girl off her feet instead of becoming one of her best friends. I was determined to make her realize she loved me, too, this year. I wouldn't accept it any other way. I nearly exploded with desire every time she linked arms with me, kissed me on the cheek, sat on my lap, cozied next to me when she slept, or grabbed my hand. Of course those were all playful gestures meant to indicate friendship, but I could barely handle our little electric touches.

"Hey, so why do we start on a Thursday?" Emmett's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"A full week of school is intense for some people still adjust to summer," I shrugged.

"Ah, gotcha."

"What are your classes?"

He recited his schedule to me.

"We have lunch together. I also have Spanish with you seventh block. Last hour of the day, too. Good way to end the day. The teacher is in love with me."  
"Cool. Does that mean we can skip?"

I laughed. I liked the way this kid thinks.

"Yeah, definitely. Uh, let me think about your other classes. You have gym with Jasper."

He glanced over at Jasper, who was writing up the data as Alice was cleaning. Thankfully, they weren't interacting that closely like earlier. Emmett was a big guy and I wasn't sure how he would take Jasper hitting on his cute little half sister.

"And you have Calc with Bella, I think."

He raised his eyebrows.

"She was the brunette sitting next to Jasper and me during English. I don't know if you remember," I elaborated. "I don't know anyone in Psych of Econ those hours, though. Sorry."

He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Well, let's get this shit cleaned up."

I gestured at the mess at our lab station. I had already written everything up seeing how I'd done this type of lab a million times before. So had Jasper. Jasper basically lived at my house, so it was inevitable that he helped Carlisle out like me. Jasper's parents were rarely home. They both traveled incessantly and worked late nights. His dad was a high profile lawyer that was constantly shooting off to meet with clients. His mom was a breakthrough fashion designer that was constantly flying to attend big events and runway shows. Needless to say, Jasper's family was crazy loaded. Coming from the son of a prominent cardiothoracic surgeon, this is a big statement. Even though Jasper's parents insisted on hiring a cook to make a refrigerator full of food once a week, Jasper always ended up at my house for dinner and had gotten into a habit of spending the night, not that I minded. He was so lonely in that giant mansion of his, so we gladly welcomed him. He'd become the brother I'd never had and a second son for Carlisle and Esme. Though, having a huge house to himself did have its advantages. Jasper always threw the most kickass parties. His house was so stocked with alcohol, and his parents never noticed when any was missing. Plus, the house stood by itself behind tall black gates, so we never had to fuss with bitchy neighbors calling the cops, and whenever there was a huge mess, Jasper just called the cleaning service that usually tended to the Whitlocks' home. He gave them a substantial tip each time they never mentioned a word to his parents. My parents grew to trust Jasper and me, so they never had any hesitation letting me spend the night at his house. I think they secretly know we are throwing parties, but I guess they let me get away with it as long as I'm not fucking up majorly. I mean, and also, they never for sure knew when Jasper's parents were out of town…say like this weekend.

EmPOV

Edward and I wiped off and put everything away. The kid was cool. I mentally hoped we would become friends. By the looks of it, Alice had had an enlightening conversation with Jasper. She was beaming when Edward and I went to sit back down at the table. I knew that look. I glanced at Jasper. He had a lazy smile on his face. My eyes narrowed.

_Does that mean he and Bella aren't a couple?_

But then, Alice shot a quick glance at Edward who was discreetly texting on his cell phone.

_Of course. She would._

Alice gets head over heels with every good looking boy she sees. And my suspicions told me, she had a nice flirting session with Jasper but still had her eye on the prize: Edward.

The bell rang, and I hurried out of class anxious to get to Calc. I wanted to arrive early enough so I could snag a seat next to Bella.

_God, what am I thinking? Getting to class early?_

I maneuvered through the halls about as easily a person can carry a loveseat up a spiral staircase. After successfully knocking over three people's books and even one small boy, I made it into my Calculus classroom.

_Damn_.

She wasn't there yet. In fact, there were only about four other kids. I picked a desk in the corner. As everyone slowly started to file in the room, I noticed several people whispering and looking at me. The bell rang and she still hadn't arrived. The teacher walked into the room and started to call attendance. She proceeded down the list of names working her way through the alphabet.

"Swan, Isabella?"

No response.

"Isabella Swan? Isabella?"

She paused and sighed.

"I'm here! I'm here!" a breathless voice called from the doorway.

I looked up. There she was. Her face was slightly red and her hair was strewn out of order. She was panting.

The teacher pursed her lips.

"Miss Swan, it is most important that one should be prudent and punctual."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I forgot something in my car, so I ran out to get it during break. But then, I tripped and dropped all my stuff as I was running here."

A few kids snickered. The teacher eyed Bella suspiciously.

"It won't happen again."

"I assure you. It will not. Or you have my permission to reprimand me."

She offered a small smile. I laughed. Some heads spun in my direction including hers. She looked at me puzzled.

"Well, have a seat, Isabella."

"It's Bella."

The teacher glared at her. She blushed and mumbled a quick 'sorry' before walking over to the desk next to mine and throwing her books down.

"Well now that Bella has finally decided to join us, we can begin. I'm Mrs. Rice," she began.

She continued to talk more about the class. What we'd be covering this year. How this was supposed to be equivalent to a semester's worth of college calculus. When AP testing rolled around, we could take the Calc AB test. Blah, blah, blah. I just tuned her out. All of a sudden, I felt a light poke in my arm.

"Hi, I have English with you, right?" Bella whispered.

"Yeah. I'm Emmett."

"God, I'm such a spaz. Did I look like a total idiot running in all red and flustered?"

"Nah, it was funny."

"Well, thanks for laughing at my clumsiness."

I laughed, probably a little too loudly.

"Excuse me, Mr. McCarty. Would you like to share what is so comical to you?"

"No thanks, ma'am. I just remembered something funny someone told me last class."

She humph-ed and continued with her spiel. I looked at Bella. She silently laughed.

"She's supposed to be such a bitch."

"Well, that's pretty obvious."

"What a great start for you at our lovely school. Here's a big whoop-dee-do welcome to Lincoln High School."


	4. Chapter 4

an: I haven't really fully got into my Rosalie character yet. In the later chapter I'm working on with her, I think I've much better captured the Rose essence I was looking for. I actually have the next bit done. I just need to read over it, so I should be updating again relatively quickly. And I know I haven't had really any Bella stuff so here's one finally. I'll have less in the beginning, but I'll eventually have more. Kay, so here it is! Please review!

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine!

BPOV

The new guy, Emmett, laughed at my cynicism. He was cute in a burly football player way. Sorta like Jake.

_Ugh, Jake_.

I felt his gaze on me as soon as I stormed into the classroom. I could still sense his pupils burning holes right through me. I refused to even as much as glance in his direction. I don't know why he had to stare so much. I thought I let him down fairly.

Jacob Black and Bella Swan. What a complicated pairing. Every since Jake hit puberty, I'd been flirting with him non-stop. There was so much sexual tension it could suffocate a person. Finally, we started hooking up near the end of the school year. All the tension near exploded, except not in a good fireworks/sparks way but in an awkward "I felt like I was in seventh grade again" way. I thought maybe it was just a getting used to type thing. I mean, he was a good kisser along with being good at other things, and his giant warm body made me feel all toasty. We just fumbled a lot. Like struggling with bra clasps, bumping heads, belt buckles getting jammed, that sorta of stuff. I'm clumsy, but not _that_ clumsy so everything would go wrong. Not to mention, the fucking awkward conversation before, during, or after any sort of sexual act. We couldn't even as much as kiss without an awkward "um, was it good for you? because it was good for me" conversation afterwards. I couldn't take it anymore. I finally had to break it off at the beginning of summer.

I was hoping to avoid having to speak to him much this year to evade potential awkwardness. Looks like those hopes are thrown out the window. I tried sitting as far away from his as possible, so that's how I ended up next to Emmett. Good enough. He seemed nice. I might as well make the most of this year.

"No, but seriously, how much do you hate it here already?"

He laughed quietly again.

"It's not bad at all. I've met some nice kids, and my stepsister moved here with me, too. So, she's enduring the same shit."

"How old is she?"

"She's in our grade. Her name's Alice. She's real short and skinny with black hair. If you see a pixie running around the halls, that's her."

"Well, if I see her, I'll be sure to be a person she can bitch to about this crappy place."

"I'll let her know."

Mrs. Rice finally stopped talking about useless shit and moved onto math. She started teaching the first prerequisite chapter. I decided it would probably be beneficial if I took notes considering math was not my strongest subject. She lectured for about 15 minutes and then gave us our assignment and time to work on it. In this time, Jake had apparently gotten up and sat down at the desk in front of me. He turned around to face me.

"All hot and bothered before third period already now, Bella? I know it's you, but c'mon, show a little self-control."

My cheeks heated up, but I regained confidence.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Self-Control? Last time, I saw you, you were moaning and had Lauren Mallory on her knees."

This time, he was the one to blush.

"Bitch," he muttered.

"Yeah, well, fuck you, too."

"Shouldn't you be in some creative writing class instead?"

"That's fifth block, asshole. And why aren't you out throwing football? Or wait, is your head too far up your ass you can't see the receiver?"

"For your information, I am the receiver this year."

"What happened? Get demoted?"

"Our best receiver graduated, so Coach asked me if I could play the spot," he shrugged.

"Who's going to be quarterback?"

"Me," Emmett's voice came in.

We both turned and looked at him.

"Bullshit. Coach already has talked to our new quarterback. So good luck with that."

"Wait, who's he been talking to?" I asked.

"I don't know the kid's name. But he's new. He's supposed to be frickin' awesome, too. Like All-American good."

"Yeah, that would be me. I've been in contact with your coach since I found out I was moving here, which was like the beginning of summer."

"No shit, huh? Well, I'll be damned."

"One could only hope" I muttered.

He cast me a glare.

"I'm Jacob Black. I'll be your main receiver. My bro, Quil's your other one. Welcome to the Lions."

"Thanks."

They bonded for the remainder of class about football. Emmett kept shooting me despairing glances to save him, but I decided to let him deal with it himself. Finally, the bell rang and we rose from our desks.

"I don't like that kid."

I laughed.

"Well, looks like you're going to have to get used to him, considering you will have to spend about 15 hours with him a week."

"I'll see you at practice," Jake called out.

I parted ways with Emmett in the hall. About ten feet later, I felt a shoulder dig into me.

"Hey, bitch, watch where you're going."

I was about to open my mouth in retaliation when I saw it was Rosalie with a big smile on her face.

RPOV

I saw Bella sulking through the halls staring at her feet like she always does. I couldn't help it. I ran full speed at her and thrust myself into her side. The look on her face was absolutely priceless when I called, "Hey, bitch, watch where you're going," onto the shove. She looked like she was about the murder someone. Until she glanced up and discovered it was me. Her face lit up.

"So, what's up, ho?"

"Nothing too much. I just completed a brutal class with Jake."

"Aw, that sucks. Things still awkward?"

"Well, if being incredibly snarky counts as awkward, then yes, awkward as fuck."

"I don't know what's better."

"I do. I prefer snark over awkward silences any day."

"Yes, but dear Bella, that's you. Not many people cast as much of a cynical shadow as you."

"True."

I linked my arm through hers and she groaned slightly.

"Oh, shut up, you love me."

"Yes, I do."

"Where are you off to, may I ask?"

"AP US."

"Ugh, why the hell would you take a shitty class like that?"

"I know, I know. It's supposed to be super boring."

"Yeah, so, drop it."

"I can't. My grades have been so good through high school that Charlie expects me to go take all these APs and go to some amazing college."

"Yeah, you and everyone else. I feel like I'm friends with a bunch of geniuses, and I'm just some big idiot."

"You are not an idiot, Rose. You know how to change a tire or fix a car better than anyone I know. You know when a lying piece of shit salesman is trying to sell you fake jewelry."

"Yeah, I'm street smart. Big fucking deal."

"It is a big deal. And you're more than just that. You've got great intuition, and if you gave yourself a chance, you would see how really intelligent you really are."

"Oh shut it, Bella with the motivational speaking."

"I'm just saying you are a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"Whatever. I'm not going to Amherst or Dartmouth or Duke."

"You don't know that we are going there for sure."

"Yeah, but you guys will."

My three best friends were all part of best and brightest of the school. Edward was by far the smartest and most arrogant. He knew too much for his own good. He was applying to all the Ivy League schools but intended on attending Dartmouth like his father did. Bella and Jasper both worked their asses off. Bella was slightly more inclined than Jasper, especially in English. However, Jasper tested better than her. He turned standardized testing into a strategic process. Additionally, he was an amazing athlete. Bella had her heart set on a small little liberal arts school in the northeast, preferably Amherst College, while Jasper had plans to head south(ish) to Duke. They all intended on going to some of the best colleges in the country. I barely had any idea what I was doing. I honestly couldn't see myself at any of those schools that they liked. Edward liked pretentious, prestigious schools with a long history of tradition. Bella preferred offbeat small schools. Jasper wanted an athletic-centric school which boasted division I sports and good academics. They all had ideas of what they wanted, where they fit. I didn't have an idea of what type of college I fit into. They had plans. I didn't. Yet.

"You'll decide what you want to do, Rose."

"I better," I mumbled.

"Well, my class is this way. I'll see you at lunch."

"Kay, bye."

I stalked off to my shop class. I actually enjoyed it. I loved working with my hands making practical things. It was so much more useful than learning how to write a heroic couplet or finding infinite limits.

When I stepped into class, everyone just stared at me. I mean, it wasn't often they got girls that looked like me in shop. I flashed the class a flirtatious smile and sat down at the closest empty station.

Suddenly, my pocket vibrated. I pulled out my Motorola RAZR and checked the screen. Edward had sent me a text.

**Which lunch?**

I quickly punched in some keys:

**1****st**

A few moments later, I received another text.

**Damn. I have second. So does Jasper.**

_Well fuck._

Looks like it would just be Bella and me at first lunch then. I hate split lunches. With just the four of us, it could always end up terribly wrong. In the past, I've switched my schedule around completely just so I wouldn't stuck by myself at lunch with all the freshman boys gawking at me. At least this was an even divide this time.

"Phone away, Rose. Get to work on the assignment on the board."

I obediently tucked away my phone. This was one of the few classes I actually listened in. I grabbed my goggles and the nearest band saw and immediately tossed a piece of onto it. This was something I could do.


	5. Chapter 5

an: This will be my last chapter for a bit. Most of my writing for the next week or so will be college essays. Sorry! Also, I went a little car crazy in this chapter. What can I say? I'm a bit of a car fanatic. Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: Do not own Twilight, nor its characters.

APOV

I walked into the open commons and stood on my tiptoes to look over the mass of kids. Emmett shouldn't be that hard to find. Hundreds of students filled the area for lunch, but a giant still shouldn't be difficult to spot. I scanned the crowd with no luck until a familiar head of blond hair caught my eye.

"Jasper!"

He turned looking for the source of his name. I peeked out from group of girls crowding around the vending machine. I waved at him. He smiled and started to walk towards me.

The girls next to me started whispering furiously.

"Omigod, he's so hot."

"I know. It's too bad him and Rosalie Hale are still dating."

"Shut up. That's such a rumor. There's no way they are dating. They're _cousins_."

"Well still. She's always around him. Her and Bella Swan. I wish I could be one of them. They are always with him and Edward."

"You guys shush! He's coming this way."

They all started hushing each other as he got closer.

"Hey, Alice."

"Hi!"

"You look a little dazed and confused."

"Yeah, this is just crazy overwhelming. I've been looking for Emmett everywhere. You wouldn't think he would be hard to miss, but apparently that's not the case. Have you seen him?"

"I have not. But if you wanted to, you could come sit with Edward and me."

"Sure, I'd like that."

The girls started whispering again. But this time, more quietly.

"Who is SHE?"

"Why is Jasper Whitlock inviting her to sit with him and Edward Cullen?"

"How does she know him?"

"Since when does Jasper talk to other girls besides Rosalie and Bella."

"That's not fair!"

He turned around and winked at them.

"Oh. My. God. Did you see that? He winked at me!"

"No, that was definitely at me."

"Get over yourselves. It was me."

I looked over at him and we both burst out laughing.

"Wow, you guys elicit quite some gossip."

"Yeah, we sorta got used to it, though."

I saw Emmett and Edward sitting at a table already. My stomach did a little flip when I saw Edward.

"Look what I found."

Edward flashed a grin and gestured to Emmett.

"And I also."

I sat down at the table next to Jasper.

"So, Alice caused quite a riot by the vending machines."

"I did not! That was all you."

Edward raised an eyebrow.

"Jessica Stanley and company still whisper our names in at least every other sentence," Jasper elaborated.

"Well, I'm glad to see that summer hasn't changed them."

"Nor caused them to mature any."

"So, Rose and Bella have first lunch."

"Well, I figured that much."

"I texted Rose while she was in shop."

My heart dropped. Who was Rose? I'd heard her name mentioned like twenty times in the past ten minutes. First by those girls talking about Jasper. Was Edward dating this Rose? Why was he texting her and why was he so curious about her lunches?

_Ugh, I sound like one of them now_.

Jasper's laughing knocked me out of my thoughts.

"Rose in shop is still the most hilarious image for me. Even though she kicks ass at it."

"I can't imagine what she does to those poor boys. Especially once she starts coming in dressed in barely-there skirts."

Emmett's head turned slightly at the mention.

_Of course, short skirts would pique his interest_.

Jasper and Edward both laughed at Edward's comment. I was really curious who this girl was now.

"What class do you guys have after lunch?" I asked trying to change the subject off of this mysterious Rose.

"Calc BC," they answered in unison.

BC? These kids were like super geniuses or something. They seemed to be in every AP class and being relatively bored in each of them, too. I had not expected these ridiculously good looking guys to be so smart. It was kind of…hot, to be honest. Not like they needed to be anymore hot, though.

"So, Emmett, I hear you play football," Jasper turned to Emmett.

"Yeah. Where'd you hear that?"

Jasper glanced at me. I rolled my eyes. Where else would he have heard it? Honestly, sometimes Emmett can be a little dense. He's a smart kid usually, just a little slow sometimes.

"Alice told me."

"Oh, yeah. I play. I'm playing quarterback this year."

Now Edward's straightened up a little.

"Really? Jacob Black isn't playing quarterback?" he asked.

"Nope. I had Calc with him earlier today. Him and some kid, Quil, are receivers this year."

"Hm, interesting. Black's not quarterback."

Edward sorta broke off. Jasper eyed him strangely.

"Congrats, man. That's nice. I wasn't so sure you could snag that position as a brand new player on the team. But according to your sis, you are pretty fucking good. And apparently, she's right."

Emmett gave me a smile full of gratitude. I usually didn't express how proud I was of his talent. I attended all his games and even a couple of practices, but I never expressed any compliments.

"He's All-American," I spoke up.

"Well you didn't mention that earlier! That would have convinced me in a second."

"Eh, you would have found out eventually. Plus, it's not like I need to convince you. You aren't the coach," I shrugged.

"Oooh, Brandon's got some sass," he retorted.

Edward snickered. I grinned.

"Maybe I do, maybe I do."

JPOV

Lunch was thoroughly enjoyable. The new kids were good company. Especially that little one. She was so vivacious. I was definitely intrigued with her.

I headed off to Calc with Edward. Math was definitely my strongest subject. The class was relatively small. I found a desk next to Edward and we sat down before the bell rang. I'd already had the same routine in four classes already, so I partially blocked this one out. It always went the same: attendance, intro to the class, an outline of the AP syllabus leading up the test for the classes it pertained to, and then a short lesson. The lesson was review from last year, so I also mentally ignored that, too.

I was bored of school already. Sad, considering it was only the first day. However, I was just psyched for soccer practice after school. As a fourth-year varsity veteran and second-year captain, it was my duty to amp the team up. That wouldn't be too hard, though, because everyone looked forward to soccer season. And we were going to kick ass this year.

I already started planning out the rest of my day and the next few days. After practice, I'd probably head over to Edward's for dinner and to work on some homework. Then, I'd invent some excuse to go home, so the Cullens would think my parents were home. I'd say my mom wanted to show me some of her new sketches before she left for Paris next week. I mean, technically, she _did_ show me her new sketches before she left for Paris, except that she left yesterday. My dad was driven to the airport first thing this morning before I even woke up. He left some cash on the table, though it was completely unnecessary with the credit card they gave me, and a set of car keys with an attached note the read, "Have fun, kid. See you Monday night." The keys were for his Bentley Continental GT. He thought if he let me drive around his nearly quarter-million dollar car, it would make up for his frequent absences. He was almost right. The car drove amazing, and I got so many looks when I pulled into the school parking lot this morning. Not that I wasn't already used to that driving my Mercedes CLS63 AMG to school everyday. But a Bentley was just a whole new degree of luxury. I was used to it, though, used to being rich. Edward was rich, too. As was Rosalie. We drove nice cars, wore nice clothes, carried around nearly limitless credit cards, and just generally bought expensive things. We didn't think about it.

I suppose I blew money the most, though, out of all of us. I mean, I could, so why not? My parents issued my black AmEx because they felt bad for being gone for the past ten years. It didn't used to be this way. We used to live in a modest sized house. Well, modest compared with what we have now. Then, at age 8, my dad earned partner at his prominent firm and nearly disappeared from my life. When he wasn't jet setting off to meet all his clients, he would be working till 1 or 2 every morning at the office. When I was 12, my mom signed her first contract with a department store, Saks. Her line took off from there. She was the new Stella McCartney if Stella McCartney had Karl Lagerfeld's knowledge of the industry and Phillip Lim's novelty. Her pieces were carried in Saks, Bloomindale's, and Barney's. Currently, she was in Paris negotiating with Galeries Lafayette. Her next stop in two weeks was Manhattan to meet with Bergdorf/Neiman and Henri Bendel. In the next year or so, she wanted to open a boutique in either New York or Chicago. This culminated to an extremely huge net worth for our family.

I quickly made a mental to-do list and proceeded to work on tonight's assignment as the teacher continued with the lesson. By the time class was over, I was nearly done with my Calc homework.

The rest of the day was a blur. I had gym with Emmett. I reveled in my ability to kick his ass on the track, though I bet he could _literally_ kick my ass. I was the fastest still. I liked to keep it that way. My agility was crucial. Coupled with fancy footwork, I was nearly unstoppable on the soccer field.

Instead of having a real class seventh block, I had an independent study with my soccer coach, who was also a math teacher. We basically just hung out and talked, but we still managed to make strategies.

At the end of the day, I walked out to my (dad's) car. I threw my school stuff into the back seat and grabbed my soccer gear from the trunk. We warmed up on the field. I introduced the new kids and got everyone playing. Practice was decent. There was some new talent on the team I was anxious to unleash this season. I took my time and showered in the locker room.

By the time I left school, it was six o'clock. I headed over to Edward's. His Victorian home sat on the top of a very large hill. I walked up the driveway and peered into the small detached external garage that was really for Edward's things. Both the Volvo and Ducati were parked in it. I saw Carlisle's summer car (his Aston Martin Vantage) and Esme's Infiniti M35 parked in the attached three-car garage. There was an empty spot for Carlisle's Lexus. I assumed he must still be at the hospital. I walked through the door in the garage.

A strong scent of herbs and garlic hit me as walked into the house.

"Esme!"

"Oh, Jasper! How are you?"

She wore a warm smile. Her soft brown hair was loosely pulled back and an apron was tied around her body.

"I'm good. Great actually. It smells amazing in here. Is Edward here?"

"I'm sure you already know the answer to that question. You saw his car parked in the garage, I bet."

"You caught me."

"He's in his room, probably composing something on the computer."

I walked up the worn maple stairs and into the last door in the hall. My room (formerly known as the guest room) was next door. I was there all the time, the Cullens had offered up their spare room for me. My clothes filled the dresser, and my papers were strewn everywhere.

"Sup, man."

He removed his headphones when he saw me.

"Hey. How was practice?"

"Pretty good. Some of the new kids are alright."

"That's good. I'm excited for your season."

"Don't lie. You don't really care."

"This is true. But I'll still go to your games."

"Much appreciated."

"No problem."

We worked on our homework in near silence. I occasionally asked him a question. Esme finally called us down for dinner when Carlisle came home.

"Hey there, Jasper."

"Hi, Carlisle. Good to see you."

"And same to you as always. School good?"

"Yeah. It was pretty easy."

He laughed.

"Well, I'm glad that the school still fails to challenge you boys."

We ate dinner with casual conversation. I stayed for an hour longer after dinner before I fed the Cullens my alibi and left.

It was dark when I arrived home. I punched in the pass code into the gate and pulled into the long drive. I parked the car in the large four-car garage. It was nearly empty except for my Mercedes, my mom's Audi S8, my dad's Range Rover, and now, his Bentley. There were no boxes, no gardening supplies, no outdoor toys. It was just bare space with a bunch of luxury cars. Just like the rest of the house.

I surveyed the house when I walked in. It was clean, neat, and immaculate. I had all our valuables and breakables put into the large storage space in the basement. It would all be moved back in place by Monday. After working on my college applications some, I collapsed in deep slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

an: Thanks for the reviews! To answer a question, Jasper went home, because he wanted to make sure Carlisle and Esme didn't think his parents were out of town the weekend. And you'll just have to find out if Alice stays crushing on Edward! Also, you might get lucky and I'll upload two cahpters this weekend if I get it done. I have a brief break from homework and college shit, so I'll get in as much writing as possible.

Disclaimer: I own none of this.

EPOV

It was Friday already. Wonderful, glorious Friday. The beauty of starting school on a Thursday was that you got to watch the school week fly by in just a mere two days.

My anxiety had been creeping up on me all day, and by Spanish, I couldn't handle it anymore. I was just too excited.

"Como estas, Senora Lopez?" I greeted my teacher as I walked into the room.

"Bien. Gracias, Eduardo."

She always called me Eduardo in this sexy, sultry, heavily accented voice. It was hot. I knew she had a thing for me, but then again, every female in the school did. Married or not. She was pretty hot for a teacher, too. She was a young, petite, Latina woman with full lips and lush lashes.

I took a seat in the back of the room and saved a place for Emmett. Even though I've only known the guy a day, he was definitely growing on me. He bounded in with a dimpled grin on his face. He also shared my sentiments for Senora Lopez. He looked at her and gave me an obvious thumbs-up before sitting down next to me.

After translating for a half hour, she sent us on our own way to conjugate. I always took this time usually to nap or text someone. But this year, with Emmett in my class I guess I would follow suit of the rest of the class and "chat with my neighbor," as Senora calls it.

"Man, she's fiiiiine."

"Control yourself, Emmett, or your going to get persecuted for sexual harassment."

"Only harassment if she files a complaint."

He grinned.

"You're sick."

"And what if I am? At least, I don't harbor lustful feelings for young high school boys say like a certain bronze haired kid."

"Hey, like I told you, she loves me."

"I can tell. And let me just be blunt here, I'm jealous."

I shook my head and laughed.

"You are truly twisted in some part of your brain."

"I'm cool with that."

"I bet you are."

He laughed, and I glanced at my watch.

"Only 15 more minutes until the weekend."

"Hey, maybe for you. I still have practice until 5:30. I'm so fucking sick of Jacob, Quil, and Embry. I see them all the goddamn time."

"Sucks for you. But that's what you get for playing football."

"What the fuck else am I going to play? I don't do that musical shit like you and from what I've seen of Jasper in gym, I could not last on the soccer team."

"Well, we all have our talents, I suppose. Yours happens to involve shitty people."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

He paused for a second and seemed to hesitate before just blurting out:

"So, dude, what the fuck do you guys do for fun here on the weekends?"

My eyes flashed and I grinned.

"Oh, you have no idea. Generally, we have some pretty sick house parties. Like tonight's at Jasper's. Hit me up after practice and I'll give you details. You and Alice should come check it out."

"Sounds fucking sweet. I'll be looking forward to it."

"You should be."

We continued to talk for the rest of the period. Once the bell rang, I bolted out of the room and out to the parking lot. I still had a lot to do. I told Jasper I would run by the store and pick up lots of chasers, snacks, plastic cups, and trash bags. I also told Carlisle I'd stop by the hospital, since he would be working late tonight. Esme wanted me to eat at home, so I had to head back home and eat dinner before going to Jasper's. He wouldn't be home till nearly 6 anyway, and he still had to shower and eat once he got home. I would probably drive over there around 6:45 whether he called or not. That's just what we did, drop by each other's homes without even as much as a text message.

I stopped by the nearest Walgreen's and bought about 10 liters of soda, 3 gallons of juice, 100 plastic cups, and a box of trash bags. The girl at the check out eyed my purchases suspiciously. I threw everything in the trunk and headed for the hospital. Once inside, I approached the first nurse I recognized.

"Hey, Julie."

"Hi, Edward! How can I help you?"

"Do you know where I can find my father?"

"He's in the middle of surgery…OR 3."

"Thank you so much. Have a nice day, Julie."

"You're welcome, dear."

I directed myself towards the ORs until I got to the gallery for OR 3. I took a seat and watched my dad work his magic. His talent in the OR made him one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons in the world. Every stitch was seamless, every movement flawless. Every action was fluidly and meticulously executed. He was currently in the process of performing a perfect running whip stitch. I stared in awe for a bit longer. He looked up at the gallery and gave me a nod of acknowledgment and to let me know he'd be finished soon. I observed the remainder of the surgery, about 30 minutes. Once Carlisle left the room, I walked out of the gallery towards the scrub room, where I met him coming out.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hello there, son."

"That was amazing. The running whip stitch was absolutely perfect."

"I try. I've perfected that one."

"It's so cool."

"You want to try it?"

"Uh, of course!"

"We have some spare cadavers. I'll show how to do the stitch and let you have a go, while you tell me about your week."

"Awesome."

I was psyched. I never actually got to do real things while I was at the hospital. Usually, I would just raid the supply closet and get scrubs and hang out around the nurse stations occasionally peeking through charts.

Today was shaping up to be one of the best days I've had in awhile.

BPOV

School. Work. That was my day thus far. So basically, my day sucked. I was looking forward to it being 7, so I could leave. I worked at as a hostess at a restaurant nearby my house. The pay was shit, but the hours were good and it was flexible. I needed to work to pay for my gas. My little old Chevy truck obliterated gas like no other, and with skyrocketing gas prices, there was no way I could even drive to school without picking up a job.

Plus, I was the only one that worked. None of my friends worked a single day in their life, and they could all afford to fill up their luxury cars with premium gas. Sometimes, I felt so poor compared with Rose, Jasper, and Edward even though I wasn't. I lived in a nice house, not huge but quaint, and had relatively nice things. I just wasn't spoiled whereas they all were.

Seven o' clock rolled around. Still no sight of the next girl working. Another ten minutes passed. I was still there. Only after twenty minutes did my reliever come.

"Sorry, I'm late," she offered apologetically.

"Whatever. It's okay," I mumbled.

I dashed out of the restaurant and started up my car to drive home. Once I got home, I showered. After my shower, I stood in front of my closet wrapped in a towel. I picked out a pair of jeans and a black tank top. It was almost quarter till 8. I was supposed to be at Jasper's fifteen minutes ago.

Jasper used to live right next door to me, before his family became extremely wealthy and upgraded. Now instead of walking across a yard, I had a ten minute drive. Jasper's house now was situated far out away from other houses and people in general. Once I arrived, I typed in 72789 ("P-A-R-T-Y") into the keypad. Every time Jasper threw a party, he changed the code. Anyone who was allowed to come knew the code. This way he kept out anyone unwanted: sucky kids and cops.

I parked near Jasper's garage since I was probably going to be one of the people staying the longest. I recognized Edward's silver Volvo and Rosalie's red BMW. I walked in through the back door. Immediately, I heard lots of loud laughing that filled the empty house.

I found them in the kitchen over a bottle of Grey Goose. Edward was doubled over in laughter leaning on the kitchen counter. Jasper was curled on the ground laughing clutching his stomach. Rosalie wore a shocked look on her face. I saw their shot glasses were out. We all had our signature shot glasses. Edward's said 'Edwardsville.' Him and Jasper found it when they were driving to St. Louis and passed through Edwardsville, IL. They thought it was _hilarious_. Jasper's was one of those retarded ones from Texas that read 'Everything's bigger in Texas.' Rose got it for him as a gag gift when she was in the Dallas airport, since we always poked fun at his Texan roots. Rose's was an opaque metallic pink. Mine was a frosted white glass with a 'B' etched into it. Jasper got it for me as one of my 16th birthday presents. I noticed Jasper and Edward's glasses were empty and Edward's was knocked over on its side on the counter. Rose's looked like it was full and it was in her hand.

"What happened?" I asked.

Rose regained her composure and threw on a fierce face.

"These assholes spilled their alcohol on me!"

I noticed her delicate pink blouse had a large wet spot on the front. I stifled my giggles.

"Well, at least vodka doesn't stain."

"Ugh, now I have to change. Jasper, where are my clothes?"

Jasper was still trying to stop laughing. He could barely breathe let alone choke out:

"I don't know. There are probably some in my closet. Check the back left corner. I was looking for a shirt today and I saw some girl clothes that are definitely not mine."

"Fine."

She stomped off.

"Oh man, that was classic," Edward said to Jasper offering him a fist.

Jasper bumped it before grabbing Edward's arm to help him off the ground.

"Bells, you missed the first round of shots…and the second and third. What happened to 7:30? It's 8 now."

"I know, Jas. The girl working after me got there late and then I had to shower and yeah."

"Sucks. You should just quit."

"Sorry, unlike you, I don't have an endless bank account."

"Ouch, Bella."

"Oh shut up, you don't care."

He flashed me a grin.

"Nope, you're right. I don't care. Get your shot glass out and play catch up."

I went to the cabinet and pulled it out and downed a shot.

"Atta girl!" Edward chanted.

Rose came back down in a slinky silver top.

"I've been looking for this shirt forever. I should have known I left it here."

"See, we did you a favor then."

"Shut the fuck up. I'll get you guys back so badly. Watch your backs."

The boys raised their eyebrows, exchanged glances, and laughed.

"I'm serious!"

They continued laughing.

"You guys suck so much."

They didn't even pay attention to her now they were laughing so hard again. Rose walked over to the sink, took the removable sink nozzle in her hand and turned on the water. The water came out quickly, and she began hosing them down. They shouted in protest, but she refused to listen to their pleas. After they were thoroughly soaked, she turned off the sink.

"Son of a bitch," Jasper called out.

"Motherfucker," Edward mumbled.

They both got off the floor, dripping wet, and headed upstairs. Rose and I laughed hysterically. I helped her grab dish towels to mop up the puddle on the floor before taking a round of shots with her.


	7. Chapter 7

an: Thanks for the reviews! There's been a lot of questions about the pairings. They'll get settled in a few chapters. Don't worry. Everything always works out. There's going to be a few events to spur along things. Also, **_bold italicized_** words are song lyrics. The lyrics in this chapter are from Brand New's "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades." Check it out if she don't know it. It's a great song. The next chapter is almost done. It'll be up in the next day or so.

Disclaimer: I do not own the following, including songs and characters.

Rating is T to M for "semi-mature" situations.

JPOV

Edward and I were absolutely soaked thanks to Rosalie. I guess we kinda deserved it from earlier. In my large walk in closet, Edward was sorting through my button downs. I stripped down to just my boxer briefs and pulled a pair of dark Levis on and threw on a fitted black cotton t-shirt. I went into my oversized bathroom and grabbed a towel to dry off my hair a little bit. I walked back into my room with the towel around my neck. Edward apparently settled on a blue and white striped Ralph Lauren button down.

"Here, you can wear these jeans with that."

I went over and grabbed a pair of medium rinse Armani jeans off the shelf and tossed them to him.

"Thanks, dude."

"No problem. Just make sure it eventually gets back to me. I like those jeans."

"Will do."

He changed quickly, and I offered him the towel for his dripping hair.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you. But I was talking to Emmett during Spanish today, and he inquired about what I was doing tonight. And I told him I would give him a call later. Would it be cool if he and Alice came by?"

_Alice._

I lifted my head slightly at the mention of her name. I didn't want Edward to know I was scoping her out just yet, though. So I had to play it cool.

"Oh yeah, that's fine."

"Okay, cool. I'll call him then and let him know."

He pulled out his Blackberry and dialed a number. He put the phone up to his ear and walked out the room.

"Hey, dude, what's up?" I heard him distantly in the other room.

After a minute or so of conversation, he walked back in.

"Yeah, they said they would come in the next hour or so."

"Sweet."

We headed back downstairs, where Bella and Rose were in a fit of drunken giggles.

"How many more shots did you guys take in those ten minutes?"

"Uhhhh…."

Rose stared blankly at us.

"THREE!" Bella shouted.

"Three more?" Edward chuckled.

"Rose nodded vigorously.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. They were such lightweights, in my opinion. Just then, there was a knock on the door. I turned to Edward. Smiles crept on both of our faces.

"You know what that means, Eddie."

"Hell yeah! Party time, bitch!"

I went to the door and let in the mass of kids standing on my door step. They all poured in. A group of guys from the soccer team strode in carrying a couple 30s.

"In that room," I directed them into the rec room, which contained a ping pong table, wet bar, and another refrigerator.

Suddenly, there were at least twenty kids more kids at my house compared with five minutes ago when it had just been the four of us. We all funneled into the rec room. They set the beer up in the fridge. I grabbed a stack of cups from the side tables and handed them ten. Edward walked in with two tall, clear, plastic cups with water. I opened a new pack of balls, and one of my teammates, Aidan, handed me three beers. I really like the guys on the soccer team. I always made sure they attended my parties. They were my next closest friends besides my little inner circle of Edward, Rose, and Bella. Aidan was my favorite out of them. He was extremely down to earth and absolutely hilarious, not to mention a kickass soccer player.

Rose and Bella stumbled into the room. All the male eyes turned towards them.

"Beer pong?! I want to play!" Rose cried out.

"Rosalie, you can be my partner," Aidan offered.

"Yayyy!"

"Dude, what the hell?" another soccer player, Jonas, asked.

"I'm sorry, but dude, please."

Aidan looked at him with pleading eyes. Jonas stared back at him intently and finally relented. I could imagine their mental exchange. It probably went something like:

"C'mon..."

"Dude, you can't just ditch me like that. I wanted to play."

"No, and you can still."

"But I called first game."

"Dude, Rosalie Hale."

"Goddamn, fine."

"Thank you."

"Lucky bastard. You owe me one."

I laughed at the thoughts. The guys at our school were all in love with Rose. She was definitely the hottest girl at our school. They all tried to get ass from her, and they occasionally succeeded.

Rose was very particular and had very high standards. He had to be an athlete. She really liked football and soccer players. He had to be very attractive. He shouldn't be brain dead. She's not looking for geniuses, but they can't be completely mentally deficient.

We set up our cups. Edward and I always played first game at my house. It was like an unwritten rule. Unless Edward was some reason not in attendance, we always had first game together. I tossed Aidan a ball across the table.

"Eye to eye, kid," I said preparing my stance.

"One…two…three," we counted in unison.

On three, we tossed the ping pong balls. Aidan's bounced off a back cup, and Edward quickly snatched it up. Mine flew and swirled around in the center cup. Rosalie bent down to try to blow it out. She almost succeeded but rather than falling out onto the table, it landed in the cup next to it.

"Yes!" Edward cheered and high five-d me.

Rose pouted and put her hands on her hips.

"No, it's okay. You were close. It's just eye to eye," Aidan soothed her.

Once Edward and I got started, we were flying. Our games were for sure on tonight. Aidan and Rose were doing all right, too. Every time Rose made one, she would raise her arms, and her top would inch up slightly allowing all the guys a view at her tan, toned stomach. Then, she would give Aidan a big hug. Rosalie always got really flirty—more than usual—when she got tipsy.

We were down to our last cup, and they still three left. I readied for my throw when Rose leaned over behind the cup, exposing a substantial amount of cleavage.

"Rose, that's sick. We're fucking related."

Everyone laughed.

"Fuck that. You still think it's hot."

"You're a sick fuck, you know that, Rosalie?"

"Just shoot the ball, pussy!"

I shot, and it bounced off the rim of the cup. Edward lined up for his turn.

"I know Edward thinks this is sexy. And we AREN'T related."

"It is fucking hot, but you still can't distract me, Rose."

He shot in one fluid motion with a perfect arc. The ball swished perfectly into the cup.

"Fuck yeah!" I cheered.

We gave each other a quick embrace before turning back towards Aidan and Rosalie.

"Redemption, kids," I said with a grin on my face.

"Dick," Rose muttered.

She aimed and shot. It landed in a cup.

"Fuck," I heard Edward curse under his breath.

"Nice," Aidan complimented.

He got ready for his turn. He threw it. It landed in the same cup. In that instant, I heard Rose emit supersonic screeches before jumped up onto Aidan wrapping her arms around his neck and straddling her legs around his waist in a very excited hug. He eagerly hugged her back before setting her down and setting up three cups. We played out the new three cups until finally, Edward and I achieved victory.

"Damn straight," Edward said.

He bumped fists while Aidan and Rose slumped away in defeat. I saw Rose grab his hand and lead him out of the room. I nudged Edward and directed his attention towards it. We both raised our eyebrows.

While we were playing, another twenty to thirty people had showed up at my house. There were around fifty people here now. Edward and I abdicated our spot as winners to let other people play. I went in search of playing cards. As I walked through the foyer, the front door opened slowly. I saw Emmett's head poke out.

"Hey, Emmett!" I called out.

The door opened less apprehensively, and he and Alice stepped in.

"Hey, Brandon," I said nonchalantly.

"Whitlock," she nodded.

"So, just help yourself to anything really. There's a ton of hard liquor in the kitchen along with chasers and snacks. The beers in the rec room along with the beer pong table. I'm actually in search of cards for Circle of Death."

Alice ooooh-ed.

"I want to play Circle of Death!"

"Then, come help me find cards."

"Kay."

"I'm for sure heading towards the beer pong," Emmett said.

"There's a few guys from the football team there."

"I hope not Black."

"Nope, he's not here."

"Good."

"Oh yeah, quick question. Are you guys crashing here?"

"Not sure yet."

"Welcome, you're welcome to. A lot of people usually do."

"Thanks for the offer, dude. And thanks for inviting us."

"No problem. Glad to have you guys here."

I pointed him in the direction of the rec room before heading off in a separate direction with Alice skipping behind me.

RPOV

After we lost in beer pong, I grabbed Aidan's hand and led him out of the room. He was really cute, and it wasn't just due to my slightly inebriated state. I've mentioned it to Jasper before. I doubt Jasper paid any attention, though. As soon as he even hears Aidan's name mentioned, he starts going on and on about how funny the kid is. Tonight, I honestly didn't care if he was funny or not. My primary concern right now was that he was attractive and a good kisser. He had cute, shaggy sandy brown hair, hazel eyes, and a really muscled and tan body from soccer. My kind of taste. I hoped he would hold up on my other end, too. I guess, I would soon find out.

I dragged him along a little more to one of the further back rooms on the first floor of Jasper's giant house. I swear, his house was a fucking maze. The first floor was bigger than most people's entire homes. I don't even know what they did with all the rooms. After awhile, you run out of rooms…I mean, there are only so man—family, living, dining, rec, etc. Not to mention, there were only three people in the Whitlock family, and two of those members were usually absent.

I entered a room. It was really dark; I couldn't tell which room I was in. I turned to face him with giant doe eyes.

"It was really nice of you to ditch Jonas, so I could play," I said in a sweet, innocent voice.

I traced a finger down lightly down his chest and batted my long eyelashes at him.

"Uh…well, uh, it was no problem," he said nervously.

"I just wanted to thank you, since I probably brought you down."

I pouted my lips slightly.

"Uh, you would were way better than Jonas would have been."

"That's awfully sweet of you to say."

I leaned closer to him inhaling the scent of his cologne. I felt him stiffen slightly. He appeared extremely nervous. This wasn't surprising. I had this effect on guys. They usually couldn't believe how they ended up in such close proximity to THE Rosalie Hale. I always ended making the first move on the guy, which is why I'd sorta developed a reputation as a seductress. I felt straight out of Brand New's "Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades." I was notorious around school, but I didn't really give a shit. I wasn't a slut. I fooled around with the same amount of guys as a lot of other girls. I just chose to be more up front about it. I liked to cut to the chase. I went for what I wanted and did not wait around for guys to grow a pair and finally go for it. That wasn't my style.

I placed a hand on his chest and looked up into his eyes. I knew that would place his lips only inches from mine. I felt him breathing heavily. I reached up just a little bit so my lips would graze his. I pushed out my tongue and let it run lightly against his bottom lip.

"Aidan," I whispered less than a half inch away from his lips, so my hot breath brushed against his face.

"Yes-s-s?" he stuttered slightly.

_**She's breathing quiet and smooth. He is gasping for air.**_

"Kiss me."

At that command, he bent down and met my lips. I felt his tongue slowly parting my lips, and I welcomed it into my mouth. I tasted beer in his mouth from earlier and enjoyed the warmth of his tongue against mine. He moved smoothly and easily with my mouth. He was a really good kisser.

I sensed his hands find my waist and pull me closer to him until my chest was smashed against his. I wrapped my arms around his neck and ran a hand through his thick hair. One of his began to migrate to the small of my back while the other inched its way down to my ass. I felt him lightly cup my ass in his hand as we continued to kiss.

I broke away from him. He looked at me startled. He was probably panicking that he did something wrong. I gave him a wicked smile and took my hands and placed them on his chest to push him down on the couch situated conveniently behind him. Once he was seated, I walked seductively towards him. When I reached him, I got low of the ground and slowly gyrated my way into his lap so I was straddling him. I leaned in to kiss him again and we began making out again. I let my hands roam all over his hard chest. His hands were all over my sides, ass, and thighs. He moved slightly below me before he shifted me and flipped me so I was on my back and he was over me. He leaned down. This time instead of my mouth, his lips found my neck. They traced down my neck to my collarbone and to the plunging V-neck of my top. I let out a soft moan as he laid kisses over all the exposed skin of my decolletage. I felt his hands slowly working their ways down my sides until they reached the hem of my shirt. They found their way underneath the sheer fabric, and he was slowly inching up my top. It felt so good: his warm lips on me, his warm hands on my sides.


	8. Chapter 8

an: I loved all the reviews! Sorry this took so long! The next chapter will be up in the next day, I promise.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

EmPOV

After playing beer pong for a bit, I needed to go piss. This party was tight. Jasper's house was fucking huge and completely overrun by high school students. The guys playing were tight. I recognized a few from the football team, and I met a ton from the soccer team. There were a decent amount of attractive girls. I felt like Jasper and Edward seemed to only be friends with good looking people.

I asked one of the guys where the bathroom was. He pointed me out into the hall in a very ambiguous direction. I followed his finger and just wandered down a black hallway. I opened every door I passed. It seemed like an infinite amount, but for some reason, none were bathrooms. I don't understand what they could be keeping in all of these rooms. I continued to slowly pace down the hallway peeking behind every dark door. I heard a noise, like an animal noise, so I thought Jasper might have a dog he was keeping locked up for the party. I opened a door.

Instead of an animal, I saw the silhouette of a girl with what seemed like a perfect body straddling another figure. I saw a head of blonde hair toss.

"Ew, perv! What the fuck?! Privacy, please!" I heard the girl call out at me.

Next thing I knew, a shirt or some piece of clothing was being hurled straight at me. I stepped sheepishly into the hallway and shut the door before it could hit me. I kept walking down the hallway.

"Emmett! Is that you?" I heard a voice call from behind me.

It was Bella. She looked hot in jeans and a tank top. Her brown hair was slightly messy but still gorgeous. She walked up to me.

"What are you doing out in the far corridors of the Whitlock mansion?"

"I got lost looking for the bathroom."

She laughed.

"Here, I'll show you where one is."

She led me back to the front of the house and directed me into a bathroom. I knew I shouldn't, but I had to break the seal. Once I came out, I thanked Bella. She laughed again.

"No problem. Anytime you need directions in this household."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm hungry."

"I'm staaaarving."

"Are you? Well, let's go get some food."

"Uh, I don't think we should be driving right now."

"Wasn't talking about going out to get food. I meant, let's get food from Jasper's kitchen."

"He better have other shit besides chips and snack food."

"Oh, don't worry. He for sure has other food. Real food."

We walked into the large, airy kitchen. Bella walked over to the massive subzero refrigerator and opened it up. Inside of it, there were copious amounts of containers stacked on top of each other. It seemed filled to capacity.

"Whoa. They have the most food I've ever seen in a home."

"I know. It's ridiculous and completely ironic, too."

"Why the irony?"

"Well, Jasper's parents travel hellas. That's why he has frequent parties, 'cause they are always out of town. But before they leave, they always have the cook stock up the fridge. So all this food is for one person. Jasper usually just ends up letting everyone raid the fridge and finish all the food when they need drunk food."

"That's nice of him."

"Yeah. It is. Jasper is one of the nicest guys, I know. He likes to make sure that everyone has a great time and great life in general. He acknowledges not everyone is as financially fortunate as him, so he uses his wealth to enable him to provide for others."

"Wow. I knew he was a cool guy, but I kinda expected him to be like the stereotypical popular good looking jock."

As soon as I said the words, I immediately recognized the hypocrisy. She raised her eyebrows.

"And really, what's the stereotype?"

"I'm sorry. I meant that wrong. I sorta expected him to be more arrogant. He seems like such a smooth operator."

Bella pursed her lips slightly. I couldn't tell why, though.

_Had I offended her by insulting her best friend?_

"He can be," was all she said.

She pulled out a couple containers.

"So, what are you in the mood for? Italian, Mexican, or Chinese?"

I settled on Chinese and heated up some chicken fried rice, while she grabbed a plateful of fettuccine alfredo. We brought our food over to the kitchen counter and sat on the bar stools. I dug into my rice immediately and started to devour the deliciousness.

"Wow, you are hungry."

I nodded with my head still over the bowl.

"Do you guys throw a lot of parties?" I said once I swallowed my food.

"Correction, it's 'do Jasper and Edward throw a lot of parties?' and the answer to that is yes, yes they do. Every time Jazz's parents are out of town, which is quite frequently, he has a party. He always goes and changes the passcode to get into the gate. He moves all the valuables into storage below. Finally, he hires a cleaning service to wipe out the mess we make. Not to mention, he supplies a lot of the alcohol everyone drinks. Usually the soccer team brings over beer, but other that, the rest is Jasper's except certain people who like to bring specific drinks for their preference."

"That's awesome."

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Plus, the house is so big that when a lot of people crash for the night, everyone isn't all cramped into one tiny little room."

"Yeah, that is nice."

"But Rosalie and I usually get our own bed anyway in one of the guest rooms."

"Rosalie?"

"Oh, right! You haven't met Rose yet. She's another one of my best friends. She's awesome. A bit of an independent women, but that's what is awesome about her."

I blanched slightly. I didn't like overly headstrong girls. I liked them to have opinions. I just didn't like them to adamantly shove them in my face all the time. It was one of the biggest turn offs when a girl was demanding and pushy. A girl couldn't tell me what to do.

EPOV

I finished a couple tequila shots and a few rounds of Circle of Death. I was pretty drunk at this point and definitely craving some food. Preferably greasy food…like pizza. I stumbled into the kitchen. I saw Bella sitting next to Emmett. They were laughing and talking with their heads really close together like a real intimate setting. He took his giant hand and tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her hair.

That was all I needed to see. I immediately turned around and stormed out of the room.

_Goddamn. Why did you say something to her before? Now it's too late._

I went to the drawing room and sat on the couch. The room was empty. I was surprised. I supposed everyone was in the larger rooms where everyone usually congregated. I put my elbows on my knees and ran my hands through my hair in frustration. It was nobody's fault but mine, but yet, I still had the urge to run up and punch Emmett away from her. I let out a loud groan.

A little head peeked into the doorway. Alice's short black hair dangled to the side as she looked at me.

"Hey, Edward!"

She skipped over and sat next to me.

"This is an awesome party."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it."

I really didn't feel like talking right now. I didn't really feel like doing anything, except sitting there by myself moping.

When I first realized my feelings for Bella, she had a thing with Jacob Black. From what I heard from her, they were hooking up awkwardly every weekend. I never liked the kid, and as soon as I felt an unfamiliar pang of jealously, my dislike evolved into loathing. I was ecstatic when Bella broke off their whatever-relationship. I commended her for her good decision and told her how Jake was all wrong for her. All from a platonic perspective, of course. She had thanked me for my impartial judgment. Hah. If only she knew. Really. If only she DID know. I had so many opportunities to tell her this summer. We only spent nearly every waking hour together. All of those million times we sat in my basement or went to get ice cream, I could have told her. But I didn't. I pussied out. When it came to Bella, I lost my nerve. And I NEVER lost my nerve with women. There was something about her that messed with my wiring.

Girls loved me. The flocked to me from every direction. And I was able to win every single one of their hearts. Somehow my power was lost on Bella. She remained completely oblivious to me in that standpoint. She viewed me as one of her best friends. It was me, Edward Cullen, her best guy friend second only to Jasper. I HATED that role. The friend zone. It was bullshit.

I lamented my platonic status all summer without ever taking any action to change it. With Jacob out of the way, I figured she would be free for awhile. Except Emmett had entered the picture now. I suppose it was my fault. I invited him, and I don't entirely regret it. He was a cool guy, who I was becoming fast friends with. But now, there was a whole new element about this. And at this point, if stealing Bella from him meant losing our blossoming friendship, so be it…I already had Jasper and Rose, who the best friends a guy could ask for.

"Edward?"

I shook myself out of my thoughts at the sound of me name. I looked at Alice cluelessly.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was asking if all your guys' houses were insane like this one."

"Oh, no, not at all. Jasper has like the biggest house for like a 15 mile radius. Some of us have big houses, but nothing compares to this."

She looked around the room, and her eyes stopped on the doorway where the hall was visible. It looked like a complete mess from here.

"I feel so bad. Like this place is getting destroyed."

"Don't worry about it. We have parties all the time. Jasper can handle it."

"Well that awfully nice of him to host people so frequently."

"We like it. It's fun to do."

"Yeah. This is fun."

"Glad you're enjoying it."

"Yeah. I met a lot of cool new people tonight thanks to you guys."

"No problem. We're always looking for ways to help out."

"You guys are good guys."

"Thanks. I really appreciate you saying that. So often, I just get pegged as arrogant and callous."

"Eh, arrogant, I can see, but you are not callous. You have feelings."

_Oh, you have no idea how many feelings I do have._

"Yeah, I'm not as emotionless as most people perceive me."

"I can tell."

"Good."

I leaned back on the couch. I looked over at Alice. She was staring at me. Her eyes were glazed over. I knew that look. I could recognize that look from anywhere in an instant.

_Fuck it. Why not? At least someone wants you tonight. Plus, I'm too drunk to care._

I leaned in and kissed her. She eagerly kissed me back. I felt her lips part for me to insert my tongue. Her kissing was a lot like her personality: vivacious and excited. She seemed to be really enjoying this. Truth be told, I was, too. But the whole time, I was thinking about Bella.

I wrapped my arms around her tiny body and pulled her closer to me. She was so little. She fit conveniently next to me. Her arms slithered around to my neck to pull head harder against hers. My hands lightly traced her back until I found her bra clasp. I was about to undo it when I heard voices outside the room approaching.

"And this is the drawing room."

"What the fuck is a drawing room."

"Hah, like anyone knows."

"Dude, check this out."

I heard him run off.

And then, Bella was standing in the doorway.

"Uh. Oh, um, sorry," she stammered before walking away quickly and following where Emmett had run off to.

I detached myself from Alice and stared at where Bella was just standing. Alice looked confused until she followed my gaze and recognized my expression.

"Oh," she said softly. "Uh, I'm going to go."

* * *

an: I know how adament you guys were about mixed pairings...I'm sorry! But just trust me to let things work themselves out. There needs to be some bumps in the road.


	9. Chapter 9

an: As promised, here's the next chapter within a day! Songs in this chapter are "Creatures (For A While)" and "Do You Right" both by 311. Great songs.

Disclaimer: Own nothing. No songs, no characters, nothing.

APOV

I removed myself from his lap and walked off as quickly as possible before my tears could hit the ground. He didn't say anything as I left. He just continued to stare blankly. Once out of the room, I spotted a back door to outside. I ran for it.

Outside, it was cool with a light night breeze. I sat down on a porch swing on the patio and buried my face in my hands as silent tears fell.

_God, why was I so stupid?! Of course he wasn't interested in me!_

I felt so embarrassed. Like such an idiot. I heard the door open and someone walk outside.

_Oh great, just what I need. Someone to see me in this pathetic state._

"What's up, buttercup?" a voice said.

I looked up. It was Jasper. He was lighting a cigar that was in his hand.

"Nothing," I whimpered.

Once he heard the quavering in my voice and saw my tear-streaked face, his face changed expression.

"Shit," he muttered.

He put out the cigar and took a seat next to me.

"What's wrong, Alice?"

I sadly told him about what just happened. When I finished my story, he was shaking his head and mumbling profanities.

"Fuck, I should have known. Alice, this isn't your fault. Edward was being a drunken douche bag. He's going to have a shit ton of explaining and apologizing tomorrow."

I groaned.

"Please spare me. Can we just pretend it was a drunken mistake that no one remembers? I don't want this to be turned into a big thing."

"Alice, he needs to know that he was a dick. I'm sure he's already realized it, but he needs to get over himself and acknowledge it to you, the person he hurt."

"I'm not mad at him."

"Well, you should be. He was an asshole."

"I should have known better."

"How should you have known better? You've barely known us. There's no way you could have known Edward was in love with his best friend. Hell, I didn't even know. I had suspicions, but they were only that, suspicions."

"But still."

"Nope. It's inexcusable."

I gave up. He was right.

"Fuck. Leave it to Edward to fucking realize he's in love with Bella now. You poor thing, this is probably not how you expected your first party here to turn out."

I laughed weakly.

"Nope, not at all."

He wrapped an arm around me. I snuggled up against his chest letting his t-shit dry my remaining tears. He was warm and comforting and smelled good like cologne, smoke, and sweat. He rubbed my back in a soothing way.

I was up in Jasper's room. It was huge just like the rest of the house. I was really thankful for Jasper. He was being really sweet to me. After finding me upset, he comforted me and didn't make a big scene out of it. He sat with me until I calmed down and was ready to go back inside. Now, he was finding some clothes for me to borrow to sleep in. It was relatively late but relatively early for a party…around 1 A.M. But I was tired and felt like going to sleep now.

We entered his closet. He turned on the lights, which illuminated all the clothing-covered shelves. I gasped as I surveyed the giant amounts of clothes in front of me. I ran a hand over the array of fabrics as I ticked off names:

"Hugo Boss, Zegna, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Paul Smith, Burberry, Prada, Ferregamo, Diesel, John Varvatos, Sevens, Rock & Republic, Fred Perry. Holy shit. This is an amazing collection of clothes."

"I know but thanks anyway."

"That's how you recognized those brands the other day."

He shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess. Here."

He handed me a pair of grey Yale sweats and a white American Apparel t-shirt.

"They'll be a little big. But at least you can wear them."

"Thanks."

"Welcome."

I went into the bathroom and changed. I came out.

"I'll show you a guest room."

I nodded and followed him. I glanced into the rooms as we walked past them in the hall. All of a sudden, something caught my eye. I stopped. He turned around confused.

"What's wrong?"

I went and pushed open the door further. I saw a large sewing station surrounded by sketching tables. Swathes of satin, silk, jersey, taffeta, velvet, linen, and organza were spread everywhere.

"What is this room?" I demanded.

"It's just my mom's work room when she's in town."

"What does your mom do?"

"She's a fashion designer."

A familiar comment came back to me: "I pick up on these things with a mom like mine."

"'A mom like mine,'" I echoed. "That's what you meant."

"Yeah. That's what I meant."

"This is amazing."

"Uh huh."

His voice seemed sort of disinterested. I guess this wasn't a topic of choice for him. I gave one final sweep over the room, admiring in awe, before turning around to face him.

"So, where do I sleep?"

I grinned.

JPOV

Once I showed Alice to a guest room, I shut the door and left her in peace to sleep. I went back downstairs to survey the party. Before I even made it down the stairs, a blast of 311 hit my ears. I grinned. This was my favorite time of the night.

In the late hours of the night/early hours of the morning, people would slowly start to depart or crash. Most of the girls would get pretty tired and want to go home or sleep. It would usually just be me and a couple guys from the soccer team and sometimes from the football team if they weren't busy getting blown by their cheerleader girlfriends plus Edward, Bella, and occasionally Rose. We somehow would get re-energized, and then blast our favorite bands and play altered forms of drinking games. I would actually get to hang with my favorite people at the party.

For the past four hours, the only music I heard came in the form of Lil' Wayne. It was nice to get some music playing I actually listened to.

_**I'd surely like to rest, but the energy gets the best of me.**_

I walked into the rec room, where everyone was gathered. Emmett was singing along as everybody watched him. Nate from the soccer team and Silas from the football team were readied along the ping pong table for what looked like flip cup. Bella was on the table dancing.

_She's a little bit trashed_.

_**It's been a wild ride. I wouldn't change a minute. I can't slow down inside. I guess that's why I live it.**_

"_WATCH IT NOW_," everybody shouted along with the lyrics.

As the drums and guitar riffs started, the two guys each took a shot a vodka before dashing to the other side of the table to take another shot. Then, they began spinning in circles.

"Ten times," I heard Bella screech.

Once they spun, they ran as best as they could to the original side where the cups were and began playing a traditional game of flip cup just with much more difficulty. After a minute, Nate was declared the winner. Everybody cheered.

"Nice, dude," I congratulated him offering a fist bump.

He knocked his fist against mine.

"Thanks, captain. You up for this?"

I grinned.

"Hells yeah, I am."

"Lady," Nate nodded towards Bella, who raised her arms in success. "And gentlemen, prepare, Captain Jasper Whitlock is stepping up for a game of Flip Cup version 2.0…do we have any takers?"

I looked around. All the guys from the soccer team raised their hands to show, 'no thanks.' They knew I could kick their asses. Nate raised his eyebrows.

"I'll do it," Emmett volunteered from the iPod dock.

"Sweet. Just one thing."

He looked at me questioningly.

"Put on 'Do You Right' while you're on the iPod."

He grinned. I heard the familiar guitar in the beginning and nodded my head to the music.

"Niceee."

We got ready. Nate pushed his brown hair out of his eyes, and I saw the glint in his eye. Nate and I were both incredibly competitive. We used to despise each other back in freshman year. We were the only freshmen that made it onto Varsity, and we constantly felt the need to show off which one of us was better. In the end, he realized that I was better, and I acknowledged how much of an amazing player he was. Our contest even translated off the field. We competed over everything: grades, other sports, and girls. In the end, we discovered I was the better student but that Nate was also an amazing tennis player, too, who has assumed the role of captain since sophomore year. We also learned we could both get girls way too easily. It was really immature in retrospect. But through all that, we developed a really strong friendship. Still, in many situations, we liked to push each other and see who would do better. I knew he was anxious to see if I could beat this burly new football star especially after his own win minutes ago.

"Get ready. 1…2…3…GO!"

He flung his arm down to signal to go. I took my shot disregarding the slight burn as it slid down my throat. I started sprinting. I inhaled the other shot before I started spinning and heading back to my cups.

_**This is the stuff life's about, and it trips me out.**_

I was about a half a second ahead of Emmett, but he could easily beat me if he could chug beer quickly enough. When we were down to the last cup, I somehow just opened up my throat and let the beer pour straight down to my stomach. I nailed the flip. Everyone began cheering. I wiped my mouth and raised my arm in victory. I gave Emmett a friendly but semi-gloating smile. He grinned straight back at me to acknowledge 'good game.' The guys from the soccer team picked me up. I was glad Emmett was fitting in with us well. He was a cool kid. I saw him walk over and engage Bella in conversation.

_Except that would definitely not do. That situation's gotta be fixed for Edward's sake._

_**Gonna do you right.**_


	10. Chapter 10

an: This is my last fully completely chapter. The next one is only half done. It might be a bit before I get to finishing it due to a ton of Catch-22 reading. I have to keep my school stuff separate or else that gets too colloquial, so forgive me while I take a brief intermission. Brief...I swear.

Disclaimer: I own none of this.

BPOV

I woke up the next morning with a bitching headache. I groaned as a stepped out of the guest bed.

_Ugh, what did I drink? The entire liquor cabinet?_

Rose was laying next to me in the giant king sized bed. She looked completely serene and harmless. What a disguise.

I poked my head out into the hall. I didn't see anyone. I shuffled to Jasper's room. Before I could open the door, an unfamiliar blonde dashed out of the room. I walked in. Jasper was propped up in his bed. I raised my eyebrows and gave him a questioning look. He shrugged.

"What? She's friends with Kyle."

"Jesus, Jazz. You're such a playboy sometimes."

"Eh, whatever. You say playboy, I say connoisseur of women . To-may-to, to-mah-to"

I laughed weakly.

"And I'm not that bad. Anymore at least. You know it."

"True, but still, I like to give you shit," I admitted.

He got out of bed in just his boxer briefs. Even after all these years of being his best friend, I never quite got used to it. His tan body was ridiculously chiseled and cut. My eyes strayed along his chest to his six pack to his…ew, I couldn't even go there without grossing myself out more than I already had.

"Where's your Advil?"

"Same place as always—top drawer of the nightstand. Here."

He tossed me a water bottle.

"While you nurse your hangover, I'm going to go shower."

I nodded and went to go sit on his bed. I opened the top drawer of his cherry wood nightstand. A large box of condoms lay on top.

_Seriously, Jasper? Condoms and Advil together?_

I grabbed a bottle of Advil next to the box and popped two before taking a large gulp of water. I rubbed my temples and kneaded my aching neck.

_What the fuck did I do last night?_

I remembered my night pretty fully and was trying to recall what could make my neck so sore.

_Oh._

A sinking feeling filled my stomach, and it wasn't from the alcohol. A memory of Edward kissing the new girl flashed into my head. I shook it out of my mind.

_What is wrong with me today?_

I crawled under the covers of Jasper's bed and rested my head on the down pillow. I heard the water turn off. A few moments later, Jasper walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist. If sexual thoughts about Jasper didn't gross me out, they would totally have filled my head by now. With the towel low on his waist, the muscles of the cut V were completely obvious. Having a hot best friend was a predicament, your brain and your body thought different things.

"Bells, I wouldn't be so keen on climbing into my bed so soon after last night."

"Ew! Ew, ew, ew!" I screeched.

He laughed.

"I'm just kidding, Bella. We didn't really do anything but make out. She just came in this morning. Apparently, I 'caught her eye' last night," he rolled his eyes. "She wanted to do more, but I didn't feel like it."

"Wow, Jazz, I'm really impressed."

"Well, I guess, I felt her up pretty good, too. I kinda had to. They were just calling me."

He made the universal gesture for 'big tits.'

"Ew, you sicko."

He laughed again.

"And did you see the ass on her, too?"

He raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"You're such a guy sometimes."

"Why thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Either way. I'll take what I can get."

He walked into his closet and seconds later walked out in a pair of faded light jeans and a white t-shirt.

"How do you get changed so quickly?" I asked while he was drying his shaggy blond hair.

"Magic, dear. By the way, clean towels are out on the bathroom counter. I knew you were going to ask soon."

I smiled at the way he read my mind.

"Thanks."

"I'll be downstairs."

"Kay, down in a few."

I took a quick shower and then, raided Jasper's closet for pair of his gym shorts and I threw on a white tank top of mine that was hung up in the closet. It was most likely left here like how my jeans and top from last night would undoubtedly be. I walked downstairs. It smelled like pancakes. Delicious.

I walked into the kitchen to find Emmett over the stove flipping pancakes and the new girl and Jasper seated at the counter. I went over to say 'hi' to Emmett. He gave me a tired smile.

"Last night was awesome. You guys have the best parties."

"Thanks. Though, I really am not responsible for them."

"Well thanks for giving me a tour of the house."

"No problem. Anytime. So, pancakes, huh? Didn't suspect you for a cook."

"Haha, I can whip up a few meals. They'll be done in another minute or so. You can just take a seat next to Jasper and Alice. I'll bring them over when they're done."

"Okay, sounds good."

I walked over to Jasper and Alice, who seemed like they were in an intense discussion. Their heads were close together, and they were talking quietly. I caught the end of their conversation.

"…I'll talk to Edward. He'll for sure apologize. He knows he was wrong."

"It's fine. Whatever. I'm over it."

"I'm not, though. You don't deserve that."

"Don't worry, Jasper. Anyway, she's coming. Shhhh."

They shut up when I walked over.

_What was that all about?_

"Bella, this is Alice. I'm not sure if you've met."

"No, we haven't officially met. I've seen her around, though."

She blushed slightly.

"I'm Emmett's stepsister."

_Oh, that's his stepsister. Makes sense. I'm awfully slow today._

"Nice to meet you. Your brother's a pretty cool guy."

"Yeah, he definitely is."

"And here are Emmett's famous chocolate chip pancakes," Emmett announced serving a large plateful.

Alice clapped her hands in delight. We shoveled the food down in silence. After we finished eating, Alice and Emmett decided to depart for home.

"Mom will probably be wanting us home soon," Alice chimed.

"Yeah. But call us tonight if there's anything going on," Emmett added.

"For sure. I'll probably have people over again. I'll call you, though."

They said their goodbyes and left. I was relieved. They were nice. But I wanted to spend time with Jasper, Rose, and Edward. Especially Edward.

_Where the hell did that come from? My hangover is doing quite a mindfuck on me._

APOV

I sat on a bench in the open courtyard in front of the school Monday morning. I hadn't seen anyone since Friday night. When we got home on Saturday morning, my mom bitched at Emmett and me for not letting her know we were staying out and grounded us for the night. Thankfully, she didn't suspect us for drinking. Hell, if she would have known that, she would have crucified us. I wondered how party two went at Jasper's. I silently wondered if Edward made his move on Bella.

I replayed the scene at Jasper's house over and over again in my head. Every time it made me clench up inside. I saw the way he looked at Bella when he was me. It was filled with so much love. So much love for her. It was painful.

Jonathan Groff's voice poured into my ears through my iPod. I was working on some new sketches for a winter line I was constructing. I no longer had the convenience of hailing a cab to go to Mood and pick up some fabric. Currently, I was relying on whatever I had leftover during the move until my new shipment arrived. I missed the city dearly, and there was nothing like listening to Broadway musicals and reminiscing on my internship at Parsons that quite reminded me of it more.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up. A flash of copper blinded me in the sunlight. I squinted through my black RayBan Wayfarer sunglasses to make out the figure in front of me not that I didn't already know who it was.

_**There's a moment you know…you're fucked. Not an inch more room to self-destruct.**_

I removed an earbud.

"Uh, I was wondering if I could talk to you," he said.

"Um, okay. Sure, I guess."

I moved my purse off the bench so he could sit. He sat down and nervously stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"So. About Friday night. I'm really sorry. I'm such a fucking douche bag. I don't know what I was thinking. Actually, I do. I wasn't thinking. I was such a jerk to you. I'm so sorry. I really like you as a friend, and I think you're an amazing person."

He paused.

"But I'm in love with Bella and have been. I shouldn't have kissed you. It was just a lack of judgment, because why should I kiss someone when I'm in love with someone else? Now, I feel like shit, because I treated you like shit. You completely have the right to hate me. In fact, you should hit. Please, just punch me. Or give me a swift kick in the shins."

"Edward," I began. "I understand. And yes, you were a complete dick."

He winced slightly.

"But I don't hate you. We all do stupid shit. And you're lucky that I'm relatively forgiving. Let's just forget about it. Friends?"

"Yes, that would be so awesome. Thanks for being so understanding."

"You're welcome."

_**But the thing that makes you really jump? The weirdest shit is still to come.**_

"Um…so…I know this is going to sound absolutely crazy. But I wanted to ask you a favor. You can say no, especially since I was such an asshole."

I sighed.

"Spit it out, Cullen."

"Wouldyouhelpmewinbellaover?"

"With enunciation, please?"

"Would. You. Help. Me. Win. Bella. Over?"

_**Man, you're fucked if you just freeze up. Can't do that thing—that keeping still.**_

I guess he hadn't made his move on her yet. But he was planning on it. With my help.

"Edward…"

I looked into his green eyes. They were desperate. So pleading. I felt so bad even though I shouldn't have.

_**But you're fucked if you speak your mind.**_

I would probably hate myself later. But I caved.

"Okay. I'll help you."

"Thank you, Alice! Thank you so much."

"Why me?"

"I'm not friends with many girls. I can't tell Bella for the obvious reasons, and Rose won't support the idea, I don't think."

"Why wouldn't she?"

"I don't know honestly. I just have a feeling that she wouldn't be thrilled."

"Well, I'm glad that you view me as a friend."

"Oh, just one more thing…"

I sighed again.

"And what is that, Edward?"

"I think you're brother has a thing for her."

an: There's your last bit for awhile! A bit short, I know. For those who don't know, Jonathan Groff plays the lead Melchior (which has now been taken up by Hunter Parrish--Silas from Weeds) in the Original Broadway Cast of the musical Spring Awakening. It's a great show and my favorite musical closely followed by Rent. These lyrics are from the track "Totally Fucked."


	11. Chapter 11

an: Loved the reviews! Some of you perceptive readers uncovered my little plot setup. Sorry for the slight delay. But it's up now. I'll try to get the next chapter up asap but it depends on my workload this week. For now, you'll just have to make do with this. Reviews are much appreciated!

EPOV

Alice is a fucking saint. Thank God for her. I'm so glad she agreed to help me. And frankly, I'm completely shocked. I was a dick. I'm glad she doesn't hold a grudge. After we got over the initial weirdness, though, I discovered she was a really good person to talk to, and I was pretty sure she was growing to enjoy my company. It was just really nice to confess these things especially since I didn't know who else to talk to it about. I'm pretty sure Jasper knew. I could tell by the way he looked at me in certain situations. Also, Alice and Jasper had become pretty close, so I'm guessing she probably told him. I just wasn't ready to quite come out and see if my conjecture was correct.

We were at the Starbucks afterschool. It had become a daily thing to meet afterschool for the past week. In exchange for her advice, she was making me help her in bio. Though we were talking about protein conformation, my mind was still on Bella.

"So disulfide bridges are the interactions between the functional groups with sulfur?"

"What if she doesn't feel the same way about me?" I blurted out.

Alice took a sip of her iced chai latte.

"Then she doesn't feel the same way about you."

"But then, I'll just make it awkward between us and be really embarrassed."

"Edward, suck it up. Not all feelings are reciprocated. It's life. Shit happens."

"Maybe I just shouldn't tell her."

"Jesus, Edward. Please, just get over yourself."

I winced at her brutality. Sometimes she was reminiscent of Rose.

"Do you want to go on knowing you NEVER did anything about this. It will eat you from the inside out. Regret is worse than embarrassment, Edward."

She was right.

"Plus, who isn't in love with Edward Cullen?"

She flashed me a devious smile.

"Apparently you no longer."

She laughed, her voice as clear as bells.

"Kay, can we please get back to bio now? I don't want to fail my first big test. My mom will confiscate my sewing machine if I do. And I really want my Saks credit card back that she took from me when I got a D on my math quiz."

"Alright, alright."

I proceeded to quiz her about primary structure, secondary structure, tertiary structure, and quaternary structure.

"See, hemoglobin is an example of a quaternary structure. Know what else it is an example of?"

"Uhhh, a protein?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious. But hemoglobin is also an example of cooperatism."

"I have no idea what that is."

"Alice, that chapter is also on the test. Enzymes, active sites, and all that shit."

"Well, it's a good thing you are here to teach me it."

I groaned.

"Okay, when oxygen binds to the active site of hemoglobin, it makes it easier for other oxygens to bind to hemoglobin also. How many oxygen molecules can hemoglobin carry?"

"Oh! I actually know that. Four."

"Correct."

"So, that's just what cooperatism is? When one thing binds onto, it changes the conformation so other shit can bind onto it better."

"Essentially."

"Great. Well, that's enough bio for me today."

"Alice…" I began.

"Oh c'mon! I know all about the levels of protein structure. And I learned what cooperatism. And if this doesn't convince you, I don't know what will: allosteric inhibition is when something binds to an area of the enzyme other than the active sit and changes the conformation so the substrate can't bind to active site."

"Okay, okay, you've persuaded me that you've learned enough."

She smiled and skipped out of her chair.

"Now for your dealio. You need to look particular dashing, swoon-worthy."

"I thought I was always swoon-worthy?"

"Psh. Off your high horse, Edward!"

"Fine. And how might I accomplish this?"

"This is where my expertise plays in. We're going shopping."

I groaned and began to protest.

"Hey, do you want to impress Bella or not?"

"Fineee," I relented. "But I thought your mom confiscated your credit card."

"Silly Edward, she only confiscated my _Saks_ credit card. I still have my AmEx."

"Jesus, what is American Express anyway? Jasper loves his, too."

"As he should. It's a Centurion Card. I'm not quite that fortunate. Only platinum for me. American Express are the best cards. Anyway, you're paying for your own shit."

"What's the difference with the credit cards anyway?"

"There's a difference. Trust me."

I laughed. Alice dragged me to Neiman Marcus. After forcing me to try on nearly a dozen different shirts and jeans, she finally settled on a few Robert Graham and Etro button-downs, a couple Lacoste t-shirts, and a pair of dark Sevens. I handed the salesgirl my credit card at the check out.

"Sir, we don't accept Visa."

I just stared at her.

"We only take American Express, Neiman charges, cash, and checks."

I glanced over at Alice. She wore a smirk on her face.

"Told you so," she sing-songed.

I glared at her and mumbled a few curse words.

I pulled out my wallet and put the credit card back.

"Do you have enough cash? If not, I can spot you and you can pay me back."

"No, I'm okay."

I pulled out another card and handed it to the girl. Alice looked at me with wide eyes. After I paid and we left, Alice tugged on my arm.

"So, Mister-What's-So-Great-About-American-Express, what the hell was that?"

I laughed and shrugged.

"Hey, just because I don't know what the perks about it is doesn't mean I don't have one. My dad insists I carry it around along with my Visa."

She giggled.

"So are these clothes really going to help?"

"Who knows? But I love being a personal shopper."

"Alice!"

"No, I'm kidding. Kinda. It will definitely get you more attention. We have to work on the other stuff to seal the deal. Like that whole emotional confession part. I'm hoping the clothes will give you a confidence boost to watch her drool over you. Maybe you'll grow a pair then."

I laughed dryly before glaring at her. She laughed at my response. After our little comic moment subsided, I pushed our conversation to a more serious tone.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Don't push your luck."

"No, seriously. You're brother likes her, too. Why are you going against him and helping me?"

"Well, let's hope Emmett doesn't find out about this."

"He won't."

"Yeah, I know. Okay, well, I'm helping you because you love her. Emmett doesn't. He barely knows her. He thinks she's hot and nice. He'll get over it. I'm not letting her miss out on something potentially amazing 'cause my brother has a teeny tiny crush."

"Well I really appreciate it."

"You're going to make me rethink my decision if you get all sappy on me, Cullen."

"Okay, sorry. I'll quit it."

"Good. Are we done for the day? I have things to do."

"Yes, yes. We're done. Same time tomorrow?"

"Alright. I'll be at your house at 3:30."

She sprinted off and hopped into her bright yellow Porsche.

JPOV

I ran a towel casually through my hair to collect whatever water was left in my hair from the shower I took after practice. I heard the doorbell ringing distinctly in the background. The cool marble tile of the foyer tickled my bare feet as I padded to the front door. I threw open the door and was greeted with a bright smile contagious enough for force one on my face.

Alice stood beaming in my doorway. For the past week or so, she'd been coming over to my house after soccer practice to hang out. We talked. We did homework. We watched TV. It was nice. I learned about her. She learned about me. I told her things I only revealed to Bella, Rose, and Edward. I was becoming severely attached to her.

Every time I saw her, I got a giddy feeling in my stomach like I was eleven years old again staring at my hot high school student math tutor's ample cleavage. This never happened to me anymore. Girls were putty to _me_. It wasn't the other way around. But there was something about her—her exuberance, her sincerity, her cuteness—that just sucked me in.

"Hi!"

She smiled brightly at me.

"Hi back."

"So…I was thinking…"

"Oh, thinking. This is new."

"Shut up!"

She playfully shoved me.

_Damn, this girl was just too adorable_.

"If you didn't have a lot of homework."

"Do I ever?"

"Nope, not really."

"Want to go out to the Lake?"

"Sure. That sounds great. Let me go grab some shoes and my car keys."

"Hello-o? You're not the only with a car. We can take mine. It's right out front anyway."

"Well, if you insist. It will just be a moment."

I slipped on a pair of sandals and went back out to meet her. She was leaning against her bright yellow Porsche Carrera.

"So, come on, let's go. Get in your car."

She smiled and skipped over to the driver's side. We slipped into the car.

"This is a magnificent car," I appraised.

"I know."

"What year?"

"Well, let's see, I was ten when my dad bought it, so around 2000?"

"Beautiful."

"Yeah, I loved it when I was a kid. I picked out the color, and on weekends, we used to take it out to our place in the Hamptons. When he died, no one drove it. We left it in the Hamptons. He left it to me in his will, but my mom wouldn't let me get my license till we decided to move."

She smiled sadly at the memory.

"Well, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see it how much you adore it now."

"Yeah, he definitely would."

We drove in silence listening to Jack Johnson lull quietly on the sound system in the background. Once we arrived to the lake, Alice pulled a blanket out of her trunk and we lay it down on the sand. She lay down on the blanket and gestured for me to lay down next to her.

"Alice?" I asked tentatively once I was flat on my back.

"Hm?"

"You've opted to tolerantly put up with me for the past week."

"Oh, you say that like you're a misanthrope and awful to be around."

"Yes, but still."

"Come on, Jas. You were like the first friend I made when I came here. _You_ stuck with _me_. You toted around the new kid when you had no obligation to."

"Well, I suppose that's true. You can write me a thank you note for my goodwill."

She laughed.

"I'll make sure to put that in my Filofax."

"You actually have one of those? My mom used to use that before they invented PDAs."

"No, silly. I'm way too spontaneous to have one."

"And that you are."

There was a moment of quiet as a cool breeze passed by.

"Do you like it here?"

"Instead of New York?"

"Yeah."

"I definitely miss it."

"But…?" I was hoping for a continuation.

She rolled over, so her chin rest on my chest. Her black hair sparkled in the afternoon sun, and her grey eyes danced playfully as she bore into my eyes.

_God, she was beautiful._

"There are definitely some things that I really love about here."

That was it. That was what I needed to hear. With that, I swooped down and found her lips with mine. I felt her draw in a quick air of surprise, but after the initial shock, she kissed me back. I wrapped my arms around her tiny body, and we just lay there, on that beach embraced, until the sun set.


	12. Chapter 12

an: I'm sorry it's been so long! I've just been super busy and will continue to be for the next month. I apologize in advance. I wanted to say that I loved the reviews and they are greatly appreciated! This is shorter than I would have liked, but...life's been hectic. Enjoy!

EmPOV

The team and I headed out of the locker rooms after practice. My hair was wet from the shower I just took. I tossed my gear over my shoulder and walked towards the parking lot.

"Nice practice, man," Embry high-fived me.

"Hells yeah. We're going to kick ass on tomorrow," Jacob said.

He was referring to our first game of the season. I had to admit, we were pretty fucking good. The team had a lot of amazing players. It was actually really good that I moved here, since I needed to get scouted this year for college. It definitely helped when you had an awesome team supporting you. It wasn't that I wanted to be a football player for my entire life, or that I even wanted to play after college. Football was my key into college. I wanted to go to a school with an awesome team but also decent enough academics. Somewhere like USC, UNC, Vanderbilt, UCLA, Notre Dame…

"Damnnn!" Quil's exclamation brought me out of my thoughts.

I turned and looked at him. His eyes were fixed on something. I followed his gaze to a pair of mile long bronze legs in a denim miniskirt.

"Rosalie Hale! How the fuck did you get so fine?"

The girl turned her head to find the source of the catcalls. She rolled her eyes and tossed her long, wavy blonde hair. She was the hottest girl I had ever laid eyes on. Her body was reminiscent of a swimsuit model. I could make out her perfect body in her tight tank top. Ample cleavage was exposed in the low cut shirt and I spotted inches of tan, taut midriff.

"I heard you hooked up with Aidan in Whitlock's library this weekend."

_What? The library?_

This was the mysterious girl with the perfect body that I had accidentally walked in on. She was an absolute goddess.

"Please don't speak to me," she stated simply before marching off in her four-inch heels.

She got into a red BMW M3 and drove off.

"Who was that?" I asked Jacob who was next to me.

"Rosalie Hale. The fucking hottest piece of ass to ever grace the planet."

_Rosalie? That name sounds familiar. The girl Bella mentioned to me, I think._

"You know Jasper Whitlock?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, well, she's his cousin. Just through marriage, though."

_This has to be her then_.

"Is friends with Bella?"

Jacob winced slightly at her name.

"Yeah. Best friends. That little group is so tightly knit…Whitlock, Cullen, Bella, and Rosalie. Although, I've seen your stepsister fitting in quite well."

_Alice? Really?_

I gave him a puzzled look.

"Oh, well, I mean, I've just seen her always walking with Jasper in the halls, and her and Cullen are always at Starbucks studying bio."

_I guess this is what Alice has been doing while I was always at school for football. I'd have to ask her about it when I got home._

"But yeah, that Rosalie. She's a fucking goddess."

I nodded in agreement.

"Too bad she's too damn obstinate. She's incredibly independent with a lot of opinions. Also, she's incredibly picky. I mean, if you are lucky enough to be one of her few chosen ones, you're in for fucking sure, but good luck otherwise. God, what I would give to tap that."

I empathized with him. She was definitely the hottest girl I'd seen. Just then, a small hand grabbed my arm.

"Emmett!"

It was Bella smiling brightly.

"Hey, Bella. What are you doing at school?"

"Ugh, I had to stay and finish the newspaper. Being editor-in-chief is such a bitch, especially when everyone on your staff is incompetent."

"That sucks."

"Well, at least I got it done before eight."

"Yeah, or else you might have to starve here."

"Speaking of starving, I'm absolutely famished. Do you want to grab some dinner?"

"Uh, sure. I have to run home really quickly but I can meet you there. I'll give you a call when I'm leaving my house."

"Sounds good! I'll see you in a little bit then!"

She skipped off to her giant, beat-up pick up truck. Her chestnut hair trailed behind her as she ran. She turned around and gave me a quick smile before getting into her car. I smiled back. I turned to see Jacob blanching slightly with a twinge of jealously in his eyes.

I didn't understand what happened with them. Honestly, I didn't really want to find out. There was always so much awkward tension between them during math. I tried to just ignore it.

When I got home, Alice's car was already parked in front. I walked in and called out to see where everyone was.

"Hello? I'm home!"

Alice poked her head out from the kitchen.

"Hey! We didn't think you would ever get home. So we already ate. Football practice pretty draining, huh?"

"Yeah. Definitely time consuming. It's okay. I was going to grab some food with Bella anyway."

A shadow passed over her eyes for a quick second and then was gone.

"Oh, that sounds fun."

"Yeah."

I walked over and sat at the kitchen table after putting my stuff away.

"So, I heard today that you've been spending a lot of time with Edward."

"Really?" she tried to sound nonchalant but I heard straining in her voice.

"Yeah, you go to Starbucks a lot with him?"

"Well, yes, but he's tutoring me in bio."

"Oh. That's it?"

"Yes."

"There's not something going on between you two is there?"

She let out a loud laugh.

"God no! We're just friends."

"Okay. Well, what about you and Whitlock?"

She dropped the dish she was washing in the sink.

"Shit," she mumbled.

She picked it back up inspecting it for damage.

"Uh, there's nothing there either," her voice was slightly more high-pitched than usual.

"Hm, okay then. Well, I'm going to leave."

I went over to pat her on the back as a farewell. Instead, I got lots of gritty things on my hand.

"Hey, Al."

"Yeah?"

"Your back is covered in sand."

"Oh! I went to the park today!"

She began blushing severely. I eyed her suspiciously.

"I was lying on the ground!"

"Okay, whatever you say, Allie."

With that, I left my house and called Bella.

RPOV

I sat inside Cheesecake Factory waiting for Bella. She had insisted that we have dinner together since we never see each other anymore. Hey, it was her fault. Being in newspaper sucks up all her time. I guess spending time in detention like I did today didn't help either. Plus, I had to deal with the disgusting group of football players that harassed me.

Our football team with just filled with a bunch of meathead idiots. I never understood what Bella saw in Jacob anyway. Sure, he has a nice body and face, but the company he keeps trashes his good looks. And she had to go ahead and complicate the whole thing with _feelings_.

Emotions always get in the way. That's why I prefer to keep things at an impersonal level. I find an attractive guy, and I hook up with him. No strings. Nothing. It works out quite nicely.

_Oh Bella, the idealist. Always thinks she can turn something casual into something real._

I took a sip out of my water and stared at the entrance.

_Bella's late. Again._

Then, I spotted her running in with a bulky guy in tow. I raised my head to get a better view. She was tugging on his arm. He had a good-natured face with dimples and curly, floppy hair in addition to biceps the size of my head.

_A football player? C'mon, Bells._

He was cute, I'd give him that. He was much cuter than Quil or Embry or the other football cronies. She dragged him over to the table. I recognized him as one of the guys among the group that shouted at me after school.

"Hey, Rose! This is Emmett. I invited him to join us. He's a new student this year. His stepsister, Alice, is also in our grade."

He stuck out his hand to shake. I took it politely.

ZAP.

A bolt of electricity shivered through my body as our skin made contact.

_Weird. I'm probably just hungry and my body's reacting weird._

They took a seat at the table.

"Hi, Emmett. I'm Rosalie as you've probably figured out, since I saw you among the group of football players sexually harassing me today."

He blushed lightly.

"Uh, sorry about that. The team gets really out of hand sometime."

"Yes, you should learn to control them better."

"Take that up with Captain Black."

I shuddered.

"I'd rather not have to resort to that."

He chuckled.

"Not a fan either?"

"Oh, are you going to stand up for your team mate's honor now?"

"Actually no. I'm not a fan either. He's better than some of them, though."

"I suppose."

I took another sip from my glass. Bella stared uncomfortably at her menu. She squirmed slightly in her seat.

"So, is the team going to win tomorrow?" she asked

"We should."

"Go, team, go. Rah-rah," I said in the most mundane voice I could muster.

Bella glared at me.

"So, not the most spirited one, I'm guessing."

"Wow, and how did you figure that one? Even with all that enthusiasm?" I retorted sarcastically.

He ignored my mockery.

"You know, school spirit isn't such a bad thing."

"Oh, and here you had me thinking it was a disease all this time."

I felt daggers from Bella. I'm sorry, but I can be a bitch. In fact, I am a bitch. I'll say whatever the fuck I want whenever the fuck I want. Who's going to stop me? Surely not this kid.

"I think your aversion to school spirit stems from your choice to alienate yourself, and you alienate yourself since you're afraid of rejection."

I stared at him with wide eyes until I narrowed them into nearly slits.

"Just because you can pass a football, does not make you Dr. fucking Phil. You think I'm afraid of rejection? Hah!"

I threw in the forced laugh for emphasis.

"I don't think, I know. You hide behind your façade of beauty, since you know no one will ever reject that. But you're too scared to let others actually know you, since you're afraid of them rejecting the real you. That's why you have all the hostility, bitterness, and sarcasm."

"That's the biggest bunch of bullshit I've ever heard. You've known me for," I glanced down at an imaginary wristwatch. "Five minutes now?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, so you don't shit about me. Stay out of my fucking business."

I broke eye contact with him and stared intently at my menu.

"Whatever you say, Rosalie."

Bella looked extremely uncomfortable. She had probably not anticipated this confrontation when made plans to bring her new friend to meet her best friend. She'd have to get over it, though. Because these are the chances she run bringing a new person around.

_What the fuck does he know? Honestly. He just barges in and thinks he can psychoanalyze me in a matter of minutes? Who the fuck does he think he is?_

I mentally began to build up a pool of fiery anger inside. A red, hot pool brewing, waiting for an explosion. Silently though, I thought this stranger may have a point. I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.


	13. Chapter 13

an: I'm so SORRY!! It's been such a LOOONG time. I've just been super-busy with a ton of stuff going on. I made this chapter longer if it's any consolation. Reviews are greatly appreaciated! And again, I'm sorryyyy for the wait!

BPOV

Rosalie had sufficiently made that the most awkward meal of my life. It was pretty upsetting really. That my best friend couldn't get along with my new friend. I wished she would just play nice sometimes.

After making it through dinner, I went back home and lied in bed. Sometimes it was really tough. With just the four of us, we were sorta isolated from everyone else. I only had Rose, Edward, and Jasper. I mean, Charlie was literally in my life but not really. I just had those three people. It was completely obvious how alone I was on those days at school when none of them were there. I just wanted at least one other friend. And it sucked, because it was so hard to find someone that they all thought was good enough. We're judgmental. We can't help it.

I thought there was a chance this time. Perhaps Emmett could be friends with us. I'd seen the way he interacted with Jasper and even Edward. Jasper was always the easiest to please. He had the most friends beyond our inner circle and was generally easy-going. Edward was a bit colder. He's always more distant but he was more or less indifferent about people. Rose was always the final test. And Emmett had failed. It wasn't surprising. No one ever got past Rose. She just didn't allow it. As soon as they took a step closer, she'd take off in the other direction. It was an automatic reaction, a defense mechanism. The only reason she let us in was because we managed to roll underneath the few inches before her steel exterior shut and locked itself tightly.

I resolved that I wouldn't give this up this easily. Rose would have to be worse than she was today, because I decided that I was going to fight for this friendship. See if it was worth it.

I needed someone to talk to. I pulled out my phone and dialed Jasper.

"Hello?"

"Jas, it's me."

I heard giggling in the background. A girl's giggling. Then, I heard Jasper mumble something.

"Uh, yeah, give me a sec."

There were some more muffled noises.

"Hey, Bella. What's up?"

I felt like an intruder in his life. Since when did I feel like a stranger to Jasper?

"Nothing. Never mind. I'll talk to you some other time. Bye, Jasper."

"See you later, Bells."

I heard the line click dead. Jasper was supposed to be my person. He was a fixture in my life. I for sure couldn't talk to Rose about this either. So I dialed my remaining option.

"Hello?"

His voice sounded groggy.

"Sorry, Edward. Did I wake you up?"

"Actually, yeah. But it's for the better anyway. I fell asleep composing a new piece."

"Wow, falling asleep on the job?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'm just really tired I suppose."

"Sounds like it."

"So, what's up? Why'd you call?"

I groaned into the receiver.

"Frustrating night is all."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, I do actually. Are you busy right now?"

"No, not at all. I'll drive over to your house now."

"Okay. Thanks, Edward."

He hung up. I set my phone down on my bed.

I usually didn't confide in Edward as much. I valued him as one of my closest friends, but I never really sought him out for these chats. Jasper usually always got me. He intuitively knew my emotions. He had a way of making me feel calm. Plus, he gave really good advice. Occasionally, when we disagreed, I went to Rose. Rose gave great advice if the advice you were seeking consisted of an elaborately plotted revenge or getting a guy in bed in less than an hour. Rose was conniving. She was really good with girl stuff, too. When I got too girly for Jasper to handle, I would talk to Rose. Edward was more composed. Even a little callous. He didn't so very many emotions, so I felt uncomfortable exposing my own around him. He was a lockbox, though. Secrets were safe were him for sure. I trusted Edward deeply.

I lay my head down on my pillow for a moment and just rested my eyes briefly.

I woke up to Edward brushing a strand of hair from my face. My eyelids fluttered open. He looked startled.

"Sorry, your dad let me in. And you just looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn't want to disturb you."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up.

"S'okay."

"So what did you want to talk about?"

I sighed.

"Rose is being a supreme bitch."

"When is she not?"

I laughed weakly and he offered me a small smile.

"Okay. So you know how we're a pretty exclusive group? We're so tight knit and all."

He nodded.

"Well, sometimes, I like to make new friends. Not that I don't love you guys. 'Cause you know I do…more than anyone. But just like some friends."

He nodded again with a puzzled look on his face. He wasn't sure where I was going with this.

"So, I've sorta become friends with the new kid Emmett."

For the briefest moment, I thought I caught a frown on his face.

"And I went to dinner with him and Rose tonight. You know, introduce them and all that? But Rose decides to interrogate-slash-berate him. Then, he lashes back at her in retaliation. And it's super awkward. Like I've never been in a more awkward situation. She just made him feel so unwelcome, and I felt awful. And then, I felt like I couldn't make new friends, 'cause they'll never get her approval. Then, I just had this feeling of despair."

He just stared at me when I finished rambling.

"I know. I'm being melodramatic."

"No, not at all."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. Yes, a little bit. But Rose is a bitch. She's always been like this and she always will be. She's so guarded. She's also very protective. And you're _her_ friend. She doesn't want to lose you. She doesn't want anyone that could potentially replace her."

"But she knows that no one ever could."

"I think she tells herself that. But you know how insecure she is."

I nodded solemnly.

"If you really want to date the kid, then go ahead."

_Date? Wait a minute. Back up here. What is he talking about?_

"Hold on. Huh? Edward, what are you talking about?"

"Dating Emmett. I assumed that's why you introduced him to Rose, like when the girl takes her boyfriend to meet her parents. I've noticed you guys have been spending a lot of time together."

"No, no, no. It's nothing like that. We're just friends. I want him to be friends with you guys, too. I want Rose to be friends with him."

"Oh, well, you're going to have to push harder. Rose will not be easy to budge. But you can. It just takes time to wear down that icy façade."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"No, you were. Plus, it was just good to rant and get it out. I just needed someone to listen."

"Well, I'm always here for that."

"Thanks, Edward."

I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a tight hug.

EPOV

So last night, I learned that Bella was not dating Emmett. What a relief. That kid could totally kick my ass in a fight. I might be able to outrun, though.

Tonight was the night of our first football game, which indefinitely meant party at Jasper's. I drove over to his house to pregame it. I pulled up to his circular drive.

An unfamiliar black Saab Turbo X was parked out in front.

_Hm, who could that possibly be? I don't know anyone at school that drives a Saab._

I went to the front door and walked in without knocking like always. I heard a girl's voice and giggling coming from the family room.

_Jasper has a girl over? A girl that I don't know about?_

I slowly walked over to the large open room. I peered around the corned of the wall as discreetly as possible to catch a glimpse of Jasper and the mystery girl sitting on his oversized black leather couch.

I saw a head of black, glossy hair toss and then, I saw Jasper's tanned hands pull the head towards him.

I walked over quietly to observe all the action until I found myself staring at Jasper lying on the couch kissing a half-naked Alice Cullen tangled on top of him.

"Dude."

The word slipped from my mouth before I could censor myself.

They both jumped and stared at me. They opened their mouths to explain. I raised a hand to silence them.

"How could you not tell me? Either of you?"

Alice turned a bright red as she attempted to cover herself up.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. We were kinda keeping it a secret. You know you would be the first person I would tell."

"I can't believe this. How long?"

"Only like a week or so."

Alice grabbed her shirt and pulled it on.

"Is this for real?"

Jasper smiled dreamily and wrapped his arms around Alice pulling her closer to him.

"Yeah, it is."

She beamed and gave him a soft kiss of the lips. I ran my hand through my hair.

"Well, congrats? I guess?"

They laughed.

"Thanks."

"So…ready for the game?"

"Oh yeah, we gotta pregame that shit!"

He jumped off the couch and headed for the wet bar. He maneuvered behind the counter and pulled out a bottle of Absolut and Southern Comfort.

"Pick your poison."

Alice headed for the Absolut, and I towards the SoCo. Jasper paused and hesitated for a moment.

"Aw, fuck that. Rosalie can drive."

He reached for a tumbler and filled it with ice before dousing on some SoCo and topping it with a lime wedge.

"That's my boy," I mumbled between shots.

After about a half hour of so, we were thoroughly giddy and tipsy. We all wore stupid ass grins on our face as we waited for Rose to show up.

Rose stomped through the front door. She was wearing a billowy, multicolored micromini trapeze dress and wedged silver sandals.

"Rose, you don't look for dressed for a football game," I slurred.

"Well, you don't _sound_ very sober. Plus, I hate these things. I only go to them for the afterparties."

We stumbled outside.

"C'mon, get in, kids. You guys are such a pain in the ass. I had to drive my mom's car so I could shuttle you all."

I climbed into the passenger seat of the white BMW X5 and slumped into the leather. Alice giggled incessantly as Jasper helped her into the backseat. He rested an arm around her.

_They were cute. Even when they were drunk._

Rose groaned and started the car. When we arrived at the school, we filed out of the car and headed towards the stands. The game had just started. We made our way to the student section of the bleachers. Everyone was standing and sporting blue attire. It was completely packed. I scanned the bleachers until my eye caught Bella. She saw me, too.

She was wearing a royal blue t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail with a blue ribbon tied in it. She waved at us to invite us to join her. I gestured to the rest of them to follow me. We climbed up to the top where all the seniors were and pushed our way to where Bella was standing.

"Hey," I said breathlessly.

"Hi, everyone!" she greeted.

Jasper smiled calmly and slightly drunkenly, and Alice giggled. Rose looked disdainfully at all the fans around her. Sporting events weren't really her thing. Bella eyed Jasper, Alice, and me suspiciously. She sniffed gingerly at us.

"Did you guys pregame this?"

I smiled slyly.

"You guys would. It's only the first game."

"All the more reason to."

She laughed and turned her gaze back to the game. I followed her line of sight. Emmett stared back up into the stands and waved. She waved back. I frowned.

_Friends. She said they were just friends._

Despite my rationalizing, I was irritated for the remainder of the game. Once the game ended, we followed Rose back to her car and sat in traffic. We had won, and everyone was running around the parking lot celebrating. We arrived back to Jasper's house.

"Jazz, should I move my car?" Alice slurred.

"Sweetie, I don't think you are in any state to drive."

"Alice, what happened to your Porsche?" I asked.

"That's my mom's car. My car's getting detailed."

"Allie, I don't think you drive, though. You can just leave it here. It'll be fine tomorrow."

"'Kay, love."

She gave him a quick peck on the lips before hopping out and running inside.

"That's real cute, Jasper," Rose said sarcastically.

"Shut up, Rose," he said before getting out and following her.

"When do you think people will get here?" I asked.

"Fuck if I know. I just want to get a head start."

She got out, too, and went inside. I followed. She immediately began chugging from a bottle of Bacardi Razz.

"Damn, Rose."

I wasn't really in the mood to party. People slowly started flooding into the mansion. Music blared in the background. Everyone was partying. I caught glimpses of Bella talking with Emmett. I decided to go upstairs to sleep. I saw Rosalie dancing on the table with a group of cheering guys surrounding her. She looked absolutely trashed. I headed upstairs and lay down in the guest room before falling asleep quickly.

The next morning, I woke up. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. An image of Bella chatting with Emmett last night flashed in my head. I closed my eyes as if it would shoo the vision from my head. I had to tell her. I couldn't keep going on like this.

_Fuck Alice's plans. I'll just wing it._

I pushed off the covers and went in search of Bella. I found her in her usual bedroom. She was alone in the bed tucked underneath the comforter.

_Thankfully._

I walked over and sat down on the bed. I gently nudged her awake. She groaned and opened her eyes slowly. She smiled when she saw it was me.

"Why does it seem like I keep waking up to you?" she asked groggily.

I laughed.

"I don't know. I like watching you sleep."

_A little creepy, Edward. You sound like a stalker._

I took a deep breath. I came here to tell her something monumental. I had to go through with it now. One of Bella's emo songs from middle schools began playing in my head.

_**Breathe in, breathe out. This air is blessed, you share with me. The night is wild, so calm and dull. These hearts, they race from self control. Your legs are smooth as they graze mine. We're doing fine. We're doing nothing at all.**_

"Bella."

"Yes, Edward?"

She sat up. Her chestnut hair flowed in soft waves around her heart-shaped face. Her brown eyes bore into mine. She was absolutely beautiful.

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Okay. Shoot. You can tell me anything."

"Uh, yeah, I'm not so sure about this."

"Shut up, Edward. Anything implies _anything_. Or did they not teach that to you in AP English, Mr. Smarty-pants."

"God, Bella, you're such a dork."

"I know. But stop evading. Spill."

"Okay."

I took a long pause.

"Edward, this is shaping up as awfully anticlimactic."

"I'm in love with you," I blurted out. "I've been in love with you. You're the most beautiful, wittiest, smartest, most wonderful girl I've ever met. I love being around you. I love the way you always stumble and drop thing. I love the way you sing along in your car when you think no one is looking. I love the way you don't bother fussing with your hair. I love how peaceful you look when you sleep. I love everything about you."

_There, I said it. Shit, I probably freaked her out. Actually, not probably, I for sure freaked her out. I said some pretty creepy ass stuff. Definitely borderline obsessive._

She just stared at me with a blank look. Like she didn't know what to say. I opened up my mouth to apologize when she covered it with hers to silence it.

_**My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me. So won't you kill me so I die happy? My heart is yours to fill or burst, to break or bury, or wear as jewelry, which ever you prefer**_.

I broke away at her and caught her eyes with mine.

"I love you, too, Edward."

A wide grin spread over my face before I wrapped my arms around her and brought her towards me. I crashed my lips on hers with more force than I intended. My tongue hungrily found hers.

_**The words are hushed. Let's not get busted. Just lay here entwined here, undiscovered. Safe in here from all the stupid questions: "Hey, did you get some?" Man, that is so dumb. Stay quiet, stay near, stay close they can't hear…so we can get some.**_

My hands roamed all around her body and encircled her body. She had wrapped her arms around my back pulling me forcefully into her. It was as if we had been making up for lost time. She ran her hands through my hair lightly tugging at it. I groaned softly into her mouth. She smiled slightly and continued to kiss me, her tongue dancing with mine.

_**Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember. I'll always remember the sound of the stereo, the dim of the soft lights, the scent of your hair you twirled in your fingers, and the time on the clock when we realized it's so late, and this walk we shared together. The streets wet, and the gate was locked so I jumped it. And I let you in, and you stood at the door with your hands on my waist. And you kissed me like you meant it. And I knew that you meant it, that you meant it, that you meant it.**_

* * *

an: Okay, I hope you guys enjoyed that! My own high school experiences serve as a pretty good format for all the social events in this story. The football games and parties and such are pretty reflective of my own. I also wanted to finally dive into that relationship. The song is Dashboard Confessional's "Hands Down." It's back from my good ol' days during middle school when I listened to way more emo music, but I felt like that Edward's general feelings were conveyed pretty well through the song. There's the obvious differences, but the emotions, I felt were fitting.


	14. Chapter 14

an: Sorry! I had a major case of writer's block on this story. I'm still struggling to get over it. But since I deprived you guys so long I'm uploading two chapters this time. Appreciate all the reviews! Addressing one in particular: Yes, they drink a lot. Yes, most of them are rich. Yes, I use a lot of references to name brands. Partying is part of high school. These parties are pretty typical of high school parties; trust me, I know. True, they have a bit more luxury since they are loaded, but the drinking games and behavior is pretty in line with most parties--even watered down a bit compared with actual parties. In terms of the wealth, I've kept that aspect from the book. Bella still is not as rich as the rest of them. In fact, she's not at all. I throw in the brands, because that's how I think in terms of items. For me, every piece of clothing four critical descriptions: the brand, the color, the fabric, and the actual item itself. Sometimes, I believe it should even entail more like the cut or silhouette. I like designer labels. I know designer labels. Therefore, I'm going to include it into my story. Just like how I include tons of allusions (particularly philosophical and literary allusions) in my other story, The Freshmen. Kay, I'm done with that now. Sorry for the long rant and long delay!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this.

RPOV

I left Jasper's in a hurry that morning. It was only 7. I got around four hours of sleep. I hadn't exactly told my dad I wasn't coming home last night. He probably didn't even notice, though.

I parked in the garage and cleaned up any stray pieces of trash. My step-mom would throw a bitch fit if she discovered the car dirty, especially after how I begged her to loan it to me last night. I slowly crept into the house hoping that no one was awake yet.

_Maybe I can just get into bed and pretend I'd been there the whole night._

I stepped into the immaculate white kitchen. My step-mom was preparing waffles.

_Dammit._

"Rosalie," she smiled at me sweetly, "Fantastic of you to finally come home."

_She would for sure tell my dad, and I didn't need him lecturing me._

All his lectures were lost on me. I didn't value anything he said these days. I stared at his blonde wife. She couldn't have been more than ten years older than me. I didn't believe she was 31. Even at 31, there was quite an age gap between her and my 47-year-old father.

_Fuck dividing by two and adding seven. That rule was bullshit; old people got a sickening amount of leeway._

I mean, my dad was handsome in that middle-aged man way. He was reminiscent of Pierce Brosnan or some other hot old guy. But still, Jeanine was way hot even on the scales of 20-year-olds. She had cropped blonde hair and pretty green eyes. Her body was ridiculous. It was like mine, except with bigger boobs. There was no way they were real. However, one thing my dad had on his side was money and lots of it. When they married, I didn't believe it would last or rather, I hoped it wouldn't. Seven years and two pretty fair-haired kids later, she's still here. Still, I would never take orders from her. I couldn't treat her like my mother. She wasn't and she never would be. Despite all the maternal things she did like make waffles and drive around Lily and Max to dance class and soccer practice, I would never view her as my mother.

Maybe it was stupid to think that it would just be my dad and me after my mom's death, but a part of me wishes it could just be us. No one could replace her. She was way more beautiful than Jeanine. She was classically beautiful like Grace Kelly or a blonde Audrey Hepburn. Her looks were just so refined. Plus, she didn't have a Barbie body. She was lithe and graceful, thin but not skeletal. Also, she had dead-on maternal instincts. She always knew when I was lying, or she could immediately sense if I was in trouble. She turned our house into a home rather than just a perfect Stepford McMansion. I wondered if my dad missed her as much as I did. I would never know. All he did was work. I rarely saw him. I only saw Jeanine and little Lily and Max.

The kids did grow on me. Somehow, I have a soft spot for them. They're adorable. They have pale blond hair, nearly platinum, and bright green eyes like Jeanine. At 5 and 6, they are at prime cuteness. At their births, I vowed not tolerate them, but as soon as they cracked a toothless smile at me, I melted.

Jeanine and I continued our stare down. Finally, she relented.

_Of course. Did that bitch expect to beat me in anything? Except maybe my father's affections._

"Rosie," she sing-songed.

I flinched. I hated being called Rosie. She knew that, too.

"Yes, Jeanine?" I replied sickly sweet.

"I had the personal shopper pick out some homecoming dresses for you."

"Homecoming isn't for another month at least."

"But you don't want to wait or all the good dresses will be taken. And we wouldn't want the homecoming queen to have an ugly dress, would we?"

I rolled my eyes. Jeanine projected her desires onto me, because she felt like we were relatable. We were blonde and hot and that's about all we had in common, but for some reason, the delusional woman had it in her mind we were 'cut from the same mold.'

"Okay, I'll be sure to check them out."

I hoped that by sucking up now, she wouldn't tell my dad about me coming in this morning. She thrust a garment bag towards me. I went up to my room and reluctantly looked through them. There were about eight dresses. Some of them weren't all _that_ terrible, especially coming from Jeanine. I suppose it was mostly the personal shopper, though. There was a beautiful Badgley Mischka lace gown.

_Too formal, though. Better for prom. I won't think it's cute by then most likely, though._

Then, there was a red Heidi Weisel. It actually had a cute one-shoulder design, except it had a cashmere blend bodice.

_Cashmere in September? What the fuck are these people thinking?_

Of course there had to be something Carmen Marc Valvo. It wasn't half bad, except the god awful black and white print. Shame they wasted such an amazing silhouette on such a tacky pattern. After looking through a too-plain black Kay Unger dress, a Marchesa with the most hideous train I had ever seen, and an atrocious ribbon-esque fabric Robert Rodriguez, I pulled out a deep purple Marc Bouwer that actually had beautiful draping. It was decent. Better than decent but still not the siren dress I was looking for.

_So not surprising. Jeanine's personal shopper is probably too used to picking out trash to realize good style._

Then, it caught my eye. Tucked behind the Marc Bouwer was a metallic, silvery silk Lavender Label Vera Wang. Strapless with an empire waist. Tight in all the right places. Ruching across the bust coupled with a sweetheart neckline made my boobs look huge. Perfect, absolutely perfect draping in the skirt. Falling about mid-thigh. It fit immaculately and looked great against my summer tan.

_Hah, and they say silvers are better on brunettes. I'd like to see anyone look better in this than I do._

I hated to admit it, but Jeanine had actually done me a favor. Maybe I'd thank her sometime.

_Not likely._

Instead, I took a long nap. When I woke up in the afternoon, I showered and got changed again. I picked up my cell to call Bella to tell her about the dress.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bells."

"Yeah, Rose?"

I heard shouts in the background.

"Where are you?"

"Jazz's. He's just having a few people over to chill out in the basement. You should come on over."

"Uh, okay."

She hung up.

_Way to go, guys. Thanks for calling me?_

I drove over to Jasper's. There were a few cars out front. Not too many. I headed into the basement, which I referred to as the ultimate bachelor's hangout. There was a giant Plasma HD TV fully hooked up to every channel known to mankind along with a PS3 and Xbox 360. It was flanked with luxurious black leather couches. There was foosball and pinball and of course, billiards. Jasper had somehow convinced his parents to put the ping pong table in the rec room upstairs without arousing any suspicion. The basement was our sanctuary. Not to mention the fully-functional bar, equipped with bar stools, novelty glasses, under-counter fridge, and best of all, a working tap. Jasper and Emmett were finishing up a game of pool.

"Fuck yeah, Whitlock. Told you I'd school your ass."

Jasper laughed and shrugged. He picked up his pilsner glass and drained the last bit of topaz liquid. He went and joined Edward, Bella, Alice, and three other soccer guys (Nate, Derek, and Jeremy, I think?) in front of the TV. The table was scattered with bowls of chips and beer bottles. They had some war shooting game in the PS3.

This is what we usually did. We'd just chill out in Jasper's basement. Maybe knock back a couple beers. Play some pool, video games, and maybe foosball. Then, we'd go into the next room and watch a movie in the Whitlocks' home theater.

_Their house was fucking ridiculous…that's coming from me even._

It was never a big deal. It was just nice. Hanging out.

"Any takers?" Emmett called out.

"Dude, you've already beat all of us," Nate responded bitterly.

"Except me."

They all turned and looked at me. I had made my entrance relatively silent. A wide smile spread on Jasper's face. He knew I kicked ass at pool.

"Ahh, Rosie will take you on for fucking sure."

I shot him daggers but followed it up with a smile. He was one of the few people I let get away with it. I walked over to him and gave him a friendly peck on the lips like always. Then, I slapped him lightly on the face.

"That's for calling me Rosie, bastard," I hissed playfully.

He flashed a perfect million-dollar grin at me.

"What's on draft this fine afternoon, cousin?"

"Pilsner Urquell, my favorite."

He tipped his newly refilled glass at me.

"There's also Blue Moon and Stella in the fridge," Edward mumbled totally engrossed in the game. "Ah, fuck! Thanks a fucking lot, Nate."

He threw his controller at Nate.

"Watch it, dude. These things hurt if the hit you."

"Plus, you're replacing it if you break it."

"You boys and your first person shooting games."

"This isn't any first person shooter, Rose. This is Call of Duty 5," Edward turned to me and said matter-of-factly.

"Whatever. I'm going to grab and beer and teach this novice here how the experts play."

"Hah, we'll see," Emmett boomed.

I ventured behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of Stella. I knocked the cap off using the edge of the counter. Emmett just stared at me. A little in shock, I was guessing. The table was already set up.

"Know what, _Rosie_? I'll let you break."

I scoffed.

"McCarty, ladies first, I insist."

"Well, alright, if you're going to wear the pants."

"More of a man than you'll ever be."

He lined up and broke. He knocked in one ball.

"Solids."

"Okay, so, that would make me…"

I leaned over and knocked in a striped ball.

"Stripes."

I gave him a signature Rosalie Hale smirk. I prepared to sink my next ball when he leaned in next to me.

"So, why'd you take off this morning, Rosalie?"

"I would really prefer it if we kept the talking to a minimum this game. Smack talk only."

"Hm, I know will make this interesting."

I hit in another ball.

"And what would that be?"

"Why don't we raise the stakes a bit?"

He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"To what?"

"Well, money's overrated."

"Agreed."

"How about I'll name my terms and you name yours?"

"Sounds fair."

"Well, if I win, you have to talk with me. Have a legitimate conversation. No hostility and snide remarks. Starting off with why you left so early today."

I glared at him. He was the last person I wanted to talk to.

…_But you won't lose. So go for it._

"Okay, fine. But if I win, you leave me alone and don't talk to me…period for the rest of the afternoon."

"Deal."

We shook on it. Skin to skin. There was that strange electric contact again. I ignored it.

EmPOV

I watched in awe as she let go of my hand and leaned over the pool table and knocked another ball in.

There was something so intriguing about this woman. She was beautiful.

_Well, that's obvious. Not just beautiful, though, fucking gorgeous._

At the same time, she had this hard, impenetrable exterior. I had not seen her warm up to a single individual besides Edward, Jasper, and Bella. I watched her as she partied her drunken, beautiful ass off without a care in the world. But no one around her _knew _her…like truly knew her. I wanted to know her.

I didn't understand where these strong feelings came from. Ever since Bella introduced me to her, I couldn't help myself from thinking about her not just because of her looks, but because the way she went at it, jab for jab, at dinner. She wasn't intimidated of me, and she definitely didn't ever back down.

It was incredibly strange, because up to that point I had followed Bella around like a puppy. However, I had quite an epiphany this morning.

Bella and Edward had strolled downstairs into the kitchen with their hands entwined and an absolutely lovesick look in their eyes. They just stared at each other. It was nauseating to say the least. Alice had taken a quick glance at Jasper with a small grin on her face. He returned it with a smug, knowing smile.

_Apparently, I was the last one to be let in on this, I suppose._

At that moment, I felt anger. But not the type of anger I thought I would have. Not the jealous type. It seemed logical that I would be extremely upset because the girl I had been fancying obviously chose someone else. But instead, I wanted nothing us but to grab Edward up by the collar of his shirt, not to punch him in an envious rage, but threaten him. I wanted to warn him I would kick his ass if he ever hurt Bella. I felt protective over her, like her big brother. Ironically, I never wanted to protect Alice like this. Though Alice was technically my sister, I knew that the girl could handle herself. Despite her small size, she can be vicious. I needn't worry about her. Often times, I felt Alice was trying to protect me. But Bella just seemed so fragile, so breakable. I decided that I wouldn't cause a scene. I would just save that in case Edward decided to ever break her heart.

At this moment, as I stared at this insanely gorgeous woman who was incredibly good at pool, I wanted nothing more than to be locked into a room with her to _talk_. No doubt she would resist it, but I felt that I could eventually crack down her steely façade.

_I needed to win this game of pool._

I watched her knock in two more balls before finally missing.

_Fucking finally._

"You're turn, big boy. You're three behind."

I gave her a sarcastic smile. I hit in two balls. On the third, the stick slipped slightly causing the cue ball to veer off course.

"Hm, would you look at that? Still one behind? Oh, and it's my turn?"

_She only had four more balls to sink including the 8 ball. If she has another turn like the last one, game's over._

She lined up her shot and sunk one. On her next shot, I decided to play a little dirty. I pressed my body extremely close to her. No matter how much of an independent woman she was, she could still be swayed. Girls thought I was attractive, I knew that. I let my breath prickle her neck.

"The angle on this shot seems a little off."

She wobbled a little and her cue stick shook as she hit. It failed to knock the ball in.

_Bingo. _

I got my shot ready quickly before she could spring some tactics on me. There was no way I could resist her, and I knew that. I managed to get three balls down before she regained composure. She grabbed her beer. She poured it into her mouth without it touching her lips. She let just a little miss her mouth. I watched the golden liquid fly past her face directly onto her chest. It trickled down and my eyes followed it to her cleavage.

_What a contrived move. But it's still hot._

I missed. She smiled triumphantly as she assumed her stance. The rest of the game proceeded as we tried to out maneuver each other. We were down to the 8 ball. It was my turn. I was feeling good.

"What the fuck?! Jasper, are you sucking face with that midget?!"

Her face was of pure shock.

_That midget?_

I whirled around to catch Jasper and Alice in mid-make-out. The quickly detached themselves and each grinned sheepishly.

_I would have to talk with her later about this._

I turned around to find a look of pure bliss on Rosalie's face. I looked down at the table. My cue stick, in my quick spin, had struck the cue ball ever so slightly.

"I think that's a scratch."

She picked up the cue ball and lined it up perfectly.

"That pocket."

She pointed at the back left pocket. She proceeded to strike to ball with one fluid motion. The ball rolled into the pocket with ease.

"Told you I'd win. Oh wait, no more talking."

She smiled and walked away leaving me staring dumbfounded at the table still.


	15. Chapter 15

an: As promised, here's a second chapter! Happy New Years'! Reviews are much appreciated.

Disclaimer: Own nothing.

JPOV

_Shit._

I had forgotten that Alice and I was still a secret couple. I'm not sure why we were. I don't think she did either. We just hadn't told anyone. We intended on it. We just didn't feel like dealing with people talking shit, so we kept it to ourselves. I just wasn't thinking. I couldn't keep my hands off of her. After Alice got over her initial blush, we were fine.

_Well at least everyone knew now._

I watched Emmett and Rose bicker back and forth during their pool game. Their efforts were so transparent. Couldn't they tell that they were so into each other? Every single one of their movements oozed of sex.

This was so strange for Rose, too. She was usually a goes-after-what-she-wants type girl. I've never seen her hesitate in her pursuit of anything. I wonder why Emmett was any different. He wanted her, too. I could tell. His eyes glazed over in lust whenever he looked at her.

I heard a cheer, and I looked over to find Rosalie with her arms raised in victory.

_No surprise in that._

Rose was a fucking beast at pool. I had never met a person that was that good. Emmett looked incredibly dejected while Rose looked very smug. Suddenly, she walked over and grabbed my wrist _tightly_. She let out a low, fierce growl and snatched up Bella's hand and pulled her off of her embrace of Edward. Edward turned her green eyes to her. I could tell he silently conceded to go without a fight. He handed his controller wordlessly to Emmett. Rose dragged the two of us to my home theater with Edward trailing behind. Once we got into the room, she shut the door behind us.

"Dramatic much, Rose?" Bella said rolling her eyes.

Rosalie turned around from the door and glared at her. Bella flinched and took a step back.

"No, I am NOT being dramatic. I feel like I'm not even in your guys' fucking lives anymore."

"What are you talking about, Rosalie?" Edward said sounding mildly bored but still with an edge of fear in his voice.

"I'm talking about how Jasper is apparently hooking up with that tiny child."

"Alice. Her name is Alice. I'm not just hooking up with her, I'm dating her, and she's the same age as you," I hissed.

Rose waved a hand dismissively.

"Whatever. That's what I'm talking about. And how Bella and Edward can't seem to stay off each other? What the fuck is that about?"

Bella blushed. She and Edward looked at each other, and he reached out and took her hand.

"We're a couple now," Bella said quietly.

Edward yanked her into his embrace and kissed her lips lightly.

"I'm in love with this girl."

Bella giggled and kissed him again.

"See! That's what I fucking mean! I didn't know that my three BEST friends were all in relationships! TWO of those three being in a relationship with EACH OTHER. We used to share everything together."

"Well, in Jasper's defense, I didn't know that he was seeing Alice," Bella mumbled.

I felt terrible. Bella was my oldest friend, and I had neglected to tell her one of the most important things in my life. I shot her an apologetic look. She smiled softly to indicate she understood.

Bella let go of Edward and moved forward to Rose. She lightly stroked her arm.

"I'm sorry, Rose. We were going to tell you I swear. We were just so wrapped up in the bliss that it totally slipped our minds."

"It's not just that. The only reason I showed up here was 'cause I called Bella and then found out you were having people over, Jas. Fuck, even _Emmett_ was here before I was. What the hell is up with that? _I'm_ supposed to be your best friend not these kids."

It was my turn to apologize.

"Rose, that's totally my fault. I just assumed you were coming. You are Rosalie Hale after all, my best friend and cousin. These kids really haven't left from last night. You took off this morning. It didn't even register in my head that I needed to call you, which I realize now I should have. I love you, Rose, you know that. We all do."

"Well it doesn't feel like that."

"Rose, fucking grow up," Edward mumbled.

Rose and I both turned to glare at him. True, Rose had a tendency to be overdramatic, but it was part of who she was. I knew Edward had little tolerance for it, but he had to cut her some slack this time. It did feel like we were drifting.

"Fuck you, Edward. Just because your life is so fucking amazing now doesn't mean you have the right to be a fucking douche bag."

She said it clear and decisively without raising her voice. It made it sound even more menacing than had she shouted it. With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room. Edward shrugged. Bella gave him a pleading look before she and I took off after Rosalie. We left the room and looked around. She was gone. And so was Emmett.

EmPOV

I heard a door slam, and I saw Rosalie stomp out from the room. When she had dragged off Edward, Bella, and Jasper a few minutes ago, everyone dismissed it. It was the group after all. They pulled shit like this all the time. I couldn't help but feel jealous, though. I wanted Rosalie to talk to me like she did with them. When I saw her storm off, I immediately got up after her. She was quicker than me and had already began driving off by the time I got to my car.

I ran back inside to find my keys. I scoured the kitchen but eventually found them in the family room where I slept on the couch. I dashed back to my car and started the ignition.

I had no idea what I was doing. What was I going to say to her when I finally caught up? I didn't even know where she was going. I figured home. But I had no idea where she lived. I called Alice.

"Hey, Em."

"Al, I need a favor."

"I know. Here's Jasper."

She handed the phone over to Jasper.

"Jasper?"

"Hey, Emmett. I'm not sure if she's going to go home or not."

"I don't care. She had to go home at some point."

"Yeah, I guess. You're really going to wait for her to get home?"

"Yes."

"What are you going to say to her?"

"I don't know. What did you say to her?"

"Nothing really."

He gave me her address, and I input it into my GPS. I usually hated the thing, since I felt like I could get around everywhere by myself. But now, I knew there was no way I could find her house. I did not know the area well at all. I arrived at her house. It was unsurprisingly large with planters in the front. Two blond children were playing in the front yard. I parked the Jeep and got out.

"Hey, kids," I called out.

They looked over at me slightly frightened. They probably thought I was like a pedophile or something.

"Do you know if Rosalie is home?"

They shook their little blond heads.

"Do you know what time she'll be home?"

They shook their heads again. I sighed. The little boy came up to me.

"I'm Max. Are you a friend of Rose's?"

"Yeah, I'm Emmett."

"This is Lily. Would you like to play a game with us?"

I looked at the two kids. They were adorable. I nodded. They jumped up and down excitedly. I played with them for awhile when a blonde woman came out of the house. My jaw dropped slightly. She was incredibly hot with an incredible body. She pursed her lips slightly when she saw me.

"Kids, who is this?"

"This is Emmett, one of Rose's friends."

"Oh, silly me. Of course one of Rose's _friends_."

I didn't like the way she said that.

"Lily, come along. You have ballet soon. You need to get ready."

Lily ran into the house. Max and I continued to play catch. After about 15 minutes, the woman came out again.

"Max, sweetie, we have to take your sister to dance."

He pouted and looked at me.

"But I want to stay and play with Emmett."

"Let's not bother Emmett. What about I get you some ice cream after we drop Lily off?"

His eyes lit up.

"Okay!"

He sprinted inside. She turned to me.

"You're welcome to wait out here for my step-daughter. I don't know when she's coming home."

I nodded. I saw a white BWM X5 pull out of the garage and drive off. I sat down on the grass wondering what I was doing here anyway. I spotted a basketball resting in the grass. I picked it up and settled on shooting a few baskets.

After what seemed like hours, I checked my cell phone. It was almost 6. I sighed.

_Looks like she's not coming home anytime soon._

I forced myself to wait ten more minutes before giving up.

_Giving up on what?_

I went up for a lay up and missed. I winced.

_Since when had I become so terrible at every other sport besides football?_

"Jeez, do you suck at everything?" a soft voice said from behind me.

I turned around to find Rosalie there. Her hair was messy, and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot like she had been crying.

"Hey, Rosalie."

"What did we agree about talking?"

"It's not the afternoon any longer," I quipped.

She smiled slightly.

"I suppose you're right."

"Rose…"

She looked up at me through tear-filled eyes.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head slowly, and a single tear dripped down her cheek. I took a quick strides toward her, and in moments had her wrapped into my arms. Her tears flowed freely down her cheeks now, a sob erupting from her.


	16. Chapter 16

an: So, it didn't take as long as last time! I greatly appreciated all the reviews and wanted to thank everyone who stayed with this even during the little hiatus. Like I said before, I'm trying to keep updates more frequent now. I hope it wasn't too long this time. I'm sorry if there's a bit of fluff in the beginning here, but you need to remember these kids are seniors in high school. I had to incorporate a few of those senior moments. Hope you enjoy and please review!!

BPOV

I had watched Rose dash off. It was totally understandable why she was upset. Jasper and I exchanged a quick look before we chased after her. She had already taken off by the time we had gotten out there. I turned around to face Edward. I glared at him.

"Why did you have to be such a dick to her?"

He shrugged. His green eyes were apologetic, which was more than I expected. Usually, Edward was arrogant that he never really thought twice about his actions. He just paraded around. It was always a quality that had both irked and turned me on.

He reached out tentatively to grab my waist. I reluctantly submitted to his touch and molded my body to his as he embraced me.

"I'm sorry. I forget that not everyone is as happy as me," he murmured into my hair.

"What a line, Edward," I giggled.

Nevertheless, I turned around and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. Jasper returned after he got off of Alice's phone in the other room.

"Rose will be alright."

"Are you sure? Shouldn't we go out and talk to her?" I pushed.

"She just needs some time to calm down. She'll be back to her usual bitchy but energetic self soon enough."

He seemed very assured. I decided to take his word for it. I checked my cell phone. It was almost 4. I groaned.

_Where did all the time go?_

"What is it, sweet?"

"It's 4 already. I still have to go home and shower. Then, I need to work on my Amherst app and prepared dinner for Charlie."

"Love, apps aren't due until January."

"But I want to make this one perfect."

"I really wished you would choose Wellesley instead."

I scoffed. I had zero interest in Wellesley. Despite that everyone goes to BC and BU to party, I did not want to go to an all-girls' school. I got along so much better with guys. I could not live with girls.

"Edward, I'm not even applying to Wellesley. I'll pass on the vaginal inundation."

He frowned.

"Why? You have me. You don't need to be around a bunch of guys who are fueled by their collegiate leveled testosterone."

"I'll be fine, sweetie."

I really wasn't enjoying this jealous/possessive streak.

"You need to relax on the over-possessiveness."

He looked slightly offended but then relaxed his gorgeous features.

"I'm sorry. But I've waited to be with you so long that I can't help but keep you for myself."

"Don't worry. If things work out the way we want them, we'll only be two hours away."

"I'll visit all the time."

"Good. We can make good use of my dorm."

I flashed him a wicked smile. Lust glazed over in his eyes.

"So, you better let me go work on my app or else. Bowdoin, Swarthmore, Pomona, and Davidson are definitely much further."

"But Middlebury's closer, and Williams is about the same."

"Whatever, Edward. What makes you think I can get into Williams if I get rejected from Amherst?"

He was silent. He knew I was right.

"Okay. I'm going to go. No complaints, buddy. I'll call you after dinner."

I started off, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. I rolled my eyes.

"Edwa—"

His lips captured mine in a deep kiss, his tongue gently pushing into my mouth. After a nice long make out session, I skipped off with a dumb smile plastered on my face.

I drove home and began preheating the oven for lasagna. I grabbed my laptop from upstairs and brought up the admissions webpage and got to work as I waited for water to boil. By the time Charlie returned home from fishing with Billy, the house smelled of Italian herbs and baked cheese.

"How's my Bells? Smells delicious in here by the way."

"I'm great, Dad. I'm just working on my college apps."

"That's great. I'm glad to see you're always on top of things. I'm proud of you, Bells. It's only September and you're working on college applications. You were always a smart girl."

I blushed at his praises.

"Thanks, Dad."

"So, where are you friends applying to?"

I mentally groaned. This was inevitable. What was it with parents and their incessant curiosity about their children's friends? Thankfully, I was very proud of all my friends and their accomplishments. But it felt so stupid, since I knew that all parents judged their kids based on what their friends did.

"Edward is going to Ivy route. He's most likely following in Carlisle's—"

Charlie cleared his throat. He hated when I addressed him by his first name and didn't appreciate it whenever I addressed my friend's parents by their first names either. It was stupid, really. I called Esme and Carlisle by their first names, so why couldn't I with Charlie? All the same, I amended my previous statement.

"—_Dr. Cullen's_ footsteps and go to Dartmouth. Edward's pretty much exclusively limited himself to the Ivy League schools, so just Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Penn, and Dartmouth."

Edward was our salutatorian. He still believed Eric Yorkie cheated him out of valedictorian. I was fourth in the class while Jasper was fifth. I was better than Jas in English, but he annihilated me in math. Plus, his test scores were incredible.

"Jasper wants to go to Duke. It's his choice school. He's looking at Stanford but thinks it's out of his reach. He wouldn't mind Penn but the combination of him thinking he can't get in with the long application and the fact he'd rather go to Duke is deterring him. He's also looking at Vanderbilt, Emory, UVA, and UNC. He's pretty dead set on Duke, though."

"He'll get it. That boy can do anything."

Charlie absolutely adored Jasper. Jasper had always made an effort to talk sports with him, something Edward couldn't really do. Plus, Charlie vicariously experienced having a son with my close relationship with Jasper. Every single one of Jasper's victories made him so proud, especially those on the soccer field. It was good for him, since I was such a klutz and shouldn't be allowed to play sports. He had the whole little-league-coach complex.

"What about Rosalie?"

I winced imperceptibly.

"She's not sure. She's still looking."

I left it at that. He let me drop the subject. I continued to work diligently as the lasagna finished baking. We ate dinner in near silence. Finally, at around 7, I picked up my phone to call Edward. Instead it started ringing at that exact second. I nearly dropped it. It was Jasper. I picked it up.

"Bells, you have to come and see this."

RPOV

I stormed out of Jasper's house. I didn't want to go home. But I didn't want to stay. So I just drove. I drove to a park my mom used to take me to when I was a kid. It was nearly abandoned. It was sad. Kids just stayed inside these days on their Wii's and Xbox's. I got out of my car and opted for some swings. I sat on down on the creaky swing. I pushed myself back and forth but never letting my feet leave the ground. I just sorta swayed.

I thought about my family. How much I resented Jeanine. How little respect I had for my dad. How cute Max and Lily were. How much I missed my mom. How utterly useless my family was.

My friends were all I had. And yet, I didn't even have them anymore. They all went about their merry way. I knew that people drifted. I just never expected it to happen to me. Jasper was my cousin Chrissake. Bella was my first friend when I moved here. Edward was…well, he was Edward. How did this happen to us? We were inseparable. Now that little pixie knew more about my Jasper than me. My Bella and my Edward were now Edward's Bella and Bella's Edward. What the fuck. When did all this happen? I was Rosalie Lillian Hale. I looked like a supermodel. I had beautiful, intelligent friends. I partied like a maniac. I was the best goddamn mechanic in miles despite lacking formal training. I made head turns wherever I went. I radiated self-confidence. How did I end up in some shitty park on a creaky ass swing with mascara streaks down my face?

I sat there for what seemed like an eternity. I watched the sun begin to slowly dip down from the sky in a masterpiece of oranges, reds, and purples. I sighed and trudged off the swing, dragging my feet behind me as I made my way back to my car. I continued to watch and marvel at the beauty of the sun as I drove home. The sun never lost its luster. I heaved another heavy sigh.

I loved my friends. More than anything. They meant the world to me. I wanted to be by their side. I would not give that up. I just needed time. Surely they would understand. Jasper would figure it out. He was good at reading emotions like that. Bella would eventually realize and then probably slam the thought into Edward's pretty little head. Anyway they had each other now. I should let them bask in the honeymoon phase. Jasper had that sprite. I sighed for the umpteenth time that night. Emmett's face flickered into my face for the briefest of moments. I shook my head vigorously.

_What the hell was that about?_

I pulled up to my house. A black Jeep was situated where I usually parked my car. I settled for a space behind it. I wondered whose it was.

I got out and walked towards the front door, and instead I spotted Emmett playing and failing at basketball. I almost, _ALMOST_, giggled at the image. I couldn't bring myself to utter any joy. Instead, I remarked in my traditional bitchy way.

"Jeez, do you suck at everything?"

He quickly whipped around.

"Hey, Rosalie."

"What did we agree about talking?"

"It's not the afternoon any longer."

I smiled weakly at his witty comment.

"I suppose you're right."

Tears were brimming my eyes. I could feel them.

"Rose…"

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head in a slow, fluid motion. A single tear escaped from my eye down my cheek.

_Damnit_.

Before I had realized it, he had me in his arms. I couldn't hold them in any longer. I let all the tears fall and just let myself cry in his arms. He ran his hands through my hair softly accompanied with soothing words. I felt him pick me up bridal style, my face still buried in his chest, and carry me to the porch spring on the front veranda. He sat down and I lay my head in his lap as he continued to run his fingers through my hair. When I eventually calmed down, I sat up and rubbed my face.

"Well, after putting up with that, the least I can do is invite you inside."

He nodded and followed me into the house. I offered him something to drink. He took a bottled water. We sat down in the living room.

"Do you want to talk, Rose?"

I did. I truly did. I couldn't take holding everything in any longer, so I nodded. He silently invited me to continue.

So I did. I told him about my fight with my friends. How I felt like they abandoned me. How I felt like a stranger in their lives. He nodded wherever appropriate. When I finally said my piece on Bella, Jasper, and Edward, he spoke,

"I know it's tough. I know you feel excluded. But they do really love you. I can tell. They are your best friends. You guys will get over this. You guys are strong enough to make it."

I knew he was right. I knew all along what he was saying was true. I just wanted my time to mope and be angry. I goddamned deserved it.

But I wasn't done with my friends. I confessed my feelings about my mother and her death and what I thought about my father. I told him the way I envisioned our lives, but it instead took an entirely different path.

"I'm so sorry, Rosalie. I didn't know all this had happened to you. You know, Alice's dad died, too. She was really close to him also."

I hadn't known that. I felt an instant connection with her, even though I resented her for stealing away Jasper.

I continued to vent. I let out all my anger about Jeanine. I told him about how much I adored the kids but how I couldn't stand her. I told him about every stupid thing she did from the waffles to "Rosie" to the homecoming dress.

He told me he played with the kids and thought they were adorable. My heart melted slightly at that. He apologized that I had such a shitty step-mother. He wished he could empathize more. I understood that he loved his step-family. I mean, I saw the way he and Alice were together. They were quite a pair. Finally, he said,

"So you don't want to go to homecoming?"

I shrugged.

"I guess I will now in spite on Jeanine."

He was silent for a moment.

"You've had a supremely shitty day. I usually work it out with drills on the field or by lifting in the gym."

I looked at him befuddled. There was no way I was going to do any of that shit. He was an idiot for even thinking that.

"But I know that you probably have quite a different reaction."

_Good. Maybe he's not such an idiot._

"I heard retail therapy is good for girls."

My face brightened at those words.

"Alice really likes to shop actually. She's really into fashion. I really think you would get along with her. I know you kinda blame her. But she's not to blame. She's just a crazy, little fairy. You could talk to her about your mom. I bet she completely understands."

I actually liked the idea. I wasn't in the mood to see Bella, Jasper, or Edward. But I would like someone around still. I felt bad for torturing Emmett with shopping like that so I nodded. He took out his cell and had a few brief words with his step-sister.

"She's on her way."

Within minutes, his phone went off again. He nodded towards the door to indicate she was outside. We went out of the house. The tiny, black-haired girl ran out of her bright yellow Porsche to greet me. I made a mental note to compliment her on her car.

"Hi, I'm Alice," she said and took my hand.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Own nothing.

an: Sorry about the long wait between chapters. My writing is being required elsewhere in real life. Also, I have had issues with writer's block. If I force it too much, my writing suffers too greatly. Though this is relatively fluffy, fluff can still suffer. Please stick with me, though. I'll keep at it as much as I am able to! I really appreciate all the reads and especially the reviews. You guys are great! Please continue to review! It serves as great motivation, since I remember that I'm writing for others and not just to satiate my own mental cravings.

JPOV

I got a phone call from Emmett. He told me to head over to Rose's immediately. He said she wasn't there but for me to hurry.

I was not going to argue with the man. I just hoped he wasn't inviting me over to pummel me for dating his step-sister. I hoped into the Benz and tore off for the Hales' home.

I arrived to find Emmett carrying what looked like hundreds of white sticks. I got out and approached him. As I got closer, I realized they were candles, short candlesticks no longer than six inches.

"Uh, what the hell is this?"

"Dude, you got to help me."

"Help you with…?"

"I'm asking Rose to homecoming."

With those words, I instantly whipped out my cell phone and dialed Bella.

"Bells, you have to come see this."

I told her to immediately get her ass over to Rosalie's house. Bella lived only a short car ride away. Within five minutes, I heard her giant atrocity of a car pull up. She sprinted out of the car.

"What's up?"

I nodded my head towards the lawn where Emmett had begun sticking candlesticks in the lawn to form a giant H.

"Jeanine's gonna fucking murder you for ruining her plush green lawn," I told him.

He shrugged and tossed me a bag of candles. Bella's mouth was agape in shock.

"Stop standing there, Bella, and get working," I shouted at her.

She shook her head out of it and closed her mouth. She picked some up and followed where Emmett started off. After we completed the H, we began working on the C.

"Where is Rose anyway?" Bella spoke up.

"My girlfriend took her shopping."

"Yeah, about that. How are you two? What was with the whole secrecy thing?"

I shrugged.

"We just didn't want to make a big deal out of it. You know how kids at our school turn every single thing into something huge."

She nodded in understanding.

"Really wish you would have told me, though."

"I know, Bells. I'm sorry. Will you ever forgive me?"

I flashed her my puppy dog eyes.

"Of course, dear."

She got up and rumpled my hair before grabbing some more candles.

"So, now that you and Edward have confessed your love for each other, have you, you know…consummated your love?"

She twisted up her face in the cute little expression and a blush rose to her cheeks.

"No, of course not! Um, wasn't it just this morning?"

"I don't know. Maybe you guys work quick."

"Well, no, we haven't, perv. Have you and Alice?"

A wicked grin spread of my face.

"Maybe."

"Dude, stepsister, remember?"

I laughed.

"Sorry, Emmett. But for future reference, Rose is technically my first cousin."

He walked over and punched me lightly in the arm.

"Dick."

We all laughed and continued working.

"How long did you send Alice out on the mission? You have any idea of when they are getting back?"

"She told me she would text me when they left the mall. So that's just enough time with your guys' help to light all the candles."

"Well, boys, we need to finish up this question mark, because 'H'-'C'-curvy line thing isn't working out."

I groaned. I felt like I was in middle school forking people's lawns again.

_Funny, Rose used to always be the ringleader for that. A taste of her of trickery…just four years later._

I wiped off a bead of sweat on my forehead.

"Dude, Emmett when you called me, I did not expect manual labor."

"Uh, Jasper. I could say the same about your phone call. If I recall correctly, you told me I have to 'come see this.' See! Key word!"

"I'm sorry, guys. But it really means a lot to me that you're helping me."

"Well, we owe to Rose after this afternoon. It's a shame Eddie couldn't get his pretty piano fingers dirty with dirt. Though, I'm sure he would have whined and bitched the whole way through."

Bella shoved me.

"Hey, hey, now. Play nice. Edward's my main man, but Bells, you know that kid has never done a single day's worth of manual labor in his life."

She looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

"I used to mow the lawn when I was younger! Remember? Plus, we get all muddy and grassy during soccer practice."

"You children are ridiculous," Emmett chuckled.

"At least we aren't going to get blamed for ruining the Hales' lawn. They are going to skin you."

A look of fear flashed in his eyes.

"Aw, fuck it. They'll get over it."

"Over your dead body," Bella mumbled.

I laughed. Emmett's phone went off.

"Shit, I just got the text. They're on their way back. Hurry up! We gotta light this shit."

He tossed us each a lighter and spare candle. We immediately got to work. I was in charge of the H, Bella the C, and Emmett the question mark. I felt like my back was going to give out from leaning forward the entire night.

"Emmett, I'm sending you my chiropractor bill!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just shut up and light these damn candles!"

I chuckled and continued.

_I would get the fucking largest letter._

When we finished, we were all exhausted, considering we rushed through it as quickly as possible. They were due to arrive at any moment. Emmett wiped off his forehead and ran to grab a single red rose from his car.

"Real cute, Em," Bella complimented.

"Pretty impressive, man," I added.

He nodded his thanks to us. Bella and I ran back to my car to hide and watch from a distant. Alice's Porsche pulled up just as Bella and I ducked down.

APOV

When Emmett uttered the word 'shopping,' I was there in an instant. I took the sad-looking Rosalie Hale to the mall. I don't think I had spoken a word to her, and here she was in my car.

I received a text from Emmett a few minutes after we left about his plans. I highly approved of the idea.

"This is a fucking sweet car," she spoke up.

"Thanks. It's my dad's old one. I picked out the color, can you tell?"

She laughed.

"Well, it's wonderful and seems quite fitting for you."

"Yeah, I like it."

We arrived at the mall. Most of the upscale stores would close at 8:30, so I quickly hurried her out of the car.

"If there is one thing that always makes me feel better, it's shoe shopping."

A smile flickered on her face at my words. I took her to the shoe department at Saks. She slowly walked around the salon running her hands over each pairs. She paused at the table of Valentino shoes.

"Ah, of course, Valentino."

"What can I say? I have a weak spot for them."

"I know what you mean. That's like Brian Atwood and me. Sure, I can never pass up a pair of Choos or Louboutins or Manolos, but those just sing to me."

There was a glimmer in her eye.

"I could definitely get along well with you Alice Brandon."

She fingered a pair of patent leather aqua half d'orsay peep toes.

"So, my step-mom had her personal shopper look for homecoming dresses for me. I ended up picking this gorgeous silver dress. I could obviously go with the traditional silver shoe, but that's so _boring_."

"So, you were thinking that a splash of color, say, like a patent aqua would spice up the dress?"

Her whole composure brightened.

"Exactly!"

"Well, if you get those shoes, you'll have to find a clutch to match."

"I was thinking maybe something patent hot pink."

"I actually like that. Go for it. The aqua would go fabulously with the hot pink. And the silver keeps it toned down. Love it."

She gave me a grin and had a saleswoman bring her a pair in her size. I spied a pair of open back leopard print Brian Atwood pumps. Normally, I despised animal print. It was just so nouveau riche, but with a black skinny jean and solid-colored top, this shoe could be classy enough. When the saleswoman returned with Rosalie's shoe, I sent her back to find the shoe for me. After trying on several pairs of shoes, Rose ended up with three pairs, while I ended up with two. We had already moved onto clutches. She also insisted that I look for a homecoming dress.

"Jasper will _so_ ask you."

It felt so normal talking with her. We fell into perfect sync. It's like we were destined to become best friends. Rather than only hours, I was as if I had known her for years.

We had fun trying on dresses that neither of us intended on buying, especially the extremely tacky ones. I texted Emmett while I was in the dressing room to check on his status.

**We're almost done. Let us know when you guys are on your way back.**

**Kay. Will do.**

I took off the dress and put it back on the hanger. I gathered my things before exiting the dressing room.

"Hey, Rose, I think the mall's going to close soon, and we've only been to Saks."

She hopped out of the dressing room. We left Saks with our stuff. I was right. Stores were beginning to close. We stopped at Teavana for some nice relaxing tea.

"Want to head back now?"

She nodded. We went back out to the car. I discreetly sent Emmett a quick text to let him know we were heading back to Rose's house. I was anxious to see what he had in store for her.

As I turned onto Rosalie's street, I spotted a faint glow. Rosalie noticed, too. She sat up straighter in her seat and squinted her eyes trying to make out what it was. As we reached her house, I heard her gasp. I stared at her lawn. There was glowing large 'HC?' in the grass. I smiled. Emmett would think of a grand gesture.

_That would ruin her lawn at the same time._

Rosalie got out. Emmett stepped off her porch with an armful of red roses. She ran over to him.

"Oh my God! Are you fucking kidding?"

He laughed and shook his head.

"Will you go to homecoming with me?"

She screeched and gave him a huge hug.

"This is the most amazing thing anyone has done for me. How did you pull this off?"

"I had some help."

He winked, and I saw Bella get out of Jasper's car. My stomach did a flip. Bella walked over, and Rosalie also rewarded her with a large hug. Jasper finally came out. He walked over with a single white calla lily, my favorite flower. I approached him.

"I know I didn't cover your lawn in candle, but would you go to homecoming with me, Alice Brandon?"

I grinned and took the flower.

"Of course."

He gave me a quick kiss on the lips before pulling away and draping an arm around me. Rosalie walked up to us.

"I'm sorry about freaking out on your earlier, Jas."

"No, it was completely understandable."

"Well, whatever. It wasn't, but if you're going to say so, I'm not going to argue with you. Haha. But your girlfriend is really cool. I'm sorry I was so judgmental to begin with. I apologize, Alice."

"Apology accepted, Rose. Just under one condition."

"And what is that?"

"We have to go shopping again except at a time not near closing time."

She broke into a large smile.

"Deal."


	18. Chapter 18

an: I'm working on more updates! I'm happy there are still so many people keeping up with this! I absolutely love writing Edward (mostly because he's me...or at least I've made him me in nearly every story I write, which I know is weird given he's male), so I might be putting more in his POV (I kept this one relatively short). I think I get most of my EPOV out, though, in my other story which is solely told in his POV thus far. That aside, here it is! I hope you enjoy! And please review! They are motivation.

EPOV

After Bella and Jasper made nice with Rosalie, it was only inevitable that they expected me to do the same. It's not that I disliked Rose; we've just never particularly got along that well. We're still best friends with an unshakeable bond. As similar as many parts of our life were, it was surprising that we didn't get along better. We were rich and spoiled brats who lived lives of privilege. Unlike her and Jasper, though, I didn't have a family that alienated or ignored me. I think deep down, a part of her resented me for that, since she lost her only hope for family when she lost her mom. Rosalie's lack of ambition coupled with her superficiality annoyed me. I was spoiled. Jasper was spoiled. Emmett and Alice were spoiled. I got that. Each of us cared about something, though. I had my music. Jasper had his soccer. Emmett had football. Alice wanted to be a fashion designer. Rosalie was just indifferent about nearly everything.

It irked me. I'm an elitist. Hell, we all are, except maybe Bella. Mine may be slightly more severe, but I've come to terms with it. It's something I've acknowledged and embraced. I know elitism is not good. I know it makes me an arrogant, condescending prick often times. However, I frankly don't give a damn, because I'm that elitist. It's really quite a circuitous argument. As a child brought up in my household, I had one option post-high school: go to college. Not just any college, though, I had to go Ivy. I didn't mind it. I liked having a goal so clearly drawn out for me. I grew into that goal. I taught myself anything less than Ivy-caliber was unacceptable. School was easy, so that was never an issue. I was raised on a whole different plane of expectations. While my classmates viewed something as a good grade, I thought of it as awful. Rosalie doesn't give a damn about anything at all. I know it's none of my business, but it bothers me. I have no right to get pissed. I feel like I'm the parent of an underachieving child, a child that just happens to be Rosalie.

Therefore, I'm harsher on her, since in my mind, I'm on a higher plane than she is. I immediately categorize her behavior as petty and immature. I can't help it; it's the elitism.

I know in this situation, it was wrong of me to treat her the way I did. I definitely got an earful from Bella and even a couple reproachful glances from Jasper when they came to my house after helping Emmett ask Rose to homecoming.

"You have to apologize, Edward. You were such a dick. Plus, now, since we're all great, you're going to look like even more of a douche if you keep holding out," Bella pleaded with me.

I looked up from my Music Theory homework. Her brown eyes poured into mine, and I looked toward Jasper since I knew if I kept looking at her, I would I cave. He wore a stern expression that was so different from his good-natured, confident charm.

"How am I supposed to do my homework with you guys harassing me like this?"

Jasper walked over and picked up the packet I had been working on.

"That's the point. And come on, didn't you learn this shit when you were like 14?"

"Yeah, so, my teacher doesn't know that. The school wouldn't let me take the AP without taking the class."

Bella sighed loudly.

"Off topic, guys! Edward, apologize."

"Fine, fine, fine. If it gets you guys to back the fuck up."

"We'll stop nagging you."

"Okay. Now, please, off you two go. I need to finish this and then get done my apps."

"Yay!"

Bella clapped her hands together delightedly in a way that told me she'd been around Alice too much. She gave me a peck on the cheek and dashed out of the room. Jasper affectionately tousled my hair in a brotherly way before leaving. After they left, I pulled out a sheet of paper and a Mont Blanc fountain pen.

APOV

"Let me read that!" I shrieked.

I snatched the note from Rosalie's hand as we walked to class from the parking lot. It was in Edward's signature perfect calligraphy on personalized letterhead, no less.  
_Dearest Rosalie,_

_My behavior in the past few days has been unacceptable. It had been far from friendly and less than even cordial. I understand now how upset you were with situation. Your reaction was completely justified, while mine towards you was not. After much time for reflection, I realize that I treated you terribly and not in a way a best friend should. I know that we often have our differences, but I want to clarify that I value your friendship dearly. I am sincerely sorry and hope you accept this apology._

_Most sincerely,_

_Edward_

I rolled my eyes.

"Jeez, this is straight out of the Victorian era."

"I know, but that's just how he is. This is pretty much about as heartfelt as he gets."

"Real touching."

She laughed.

"I know. But he apologized, which is what counts. To get him to admit fault is tough enough."

"Well, he's just a regular Edward Rochester."

"St. John Rivers is more like it."

We giggled at ourselves.

"How did I not become friends with you sooner, Alice Brandon?"

"I do not know, Rosalie Hale."

"What are you doing after school today?"

"I was going to look at dresses, and then pick up Jasper after soccer practice to look at stuff for him. You're welcome to help me pick out a dress."

"Okay, sounds good. Call me at the end of the day."

We waved goodbye and headed off our separated ways.

After school, I called Rosalie. We decided to head into the city. Rose was all Vera Wang this, Badgley Mischka that. I wanted something different, though. This wasn't a cotillion; this was homecoming, something I've never gotten to experience before. I wanted cute but eccentric like Betsey Johnson or trendy like Proenza Schouler or just drop dead sexy like Herve Leger. I wanted short, colorful, and playful. Essentially, I wanted the opposite of those Versace and Oscar de la Renta gowns I had to wear in the last debutante ball season.

I copped out and ended up in Neiman's. After checking out some boutiques, I was frustrated. It was too difficult. Shopping in New York was far superior. I told Rosalie I wanted short and cute. After shoving a black and white BCBG dress (the fifth PLAIN dress she had picked out) away, I explained to her again what I wanted.

"Unique, Rose! I want a dress that epitomizes Alice. It should be bubbly, cute, and miniature, just like me!"

"Alright, but I don't think that exists."

After rifling through another rack of subpar dresses, I was close to given up. Another saleslady approached me. Every time I asked for dresses, they directed me towards ABS and Nicole Miller.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

"Yes, please. I need a dress."

"We have some fantastic Nicole Miller and David Meister dresses over…"

"No, no, no. None of that. I need something of fine apparel. Derek Lam maybe?"

She looked surprised but nevertheless led me towards his ready-to-wear.

"No, I need a cocktail dress."

"Miss, there are some great Badgley Mischka cocktail dresses."

I groaned frustrated again startling the old woman. Behind the Derek Lam, I spotted a few dresses.

"What's over here?"

"Zac Posen."

"Yes! That's it. Why didn't I think of it earlier?!"

I jumped giddily up and down. The woman looked thoroughly frightened of me. I skipped over to the racks sorting through each dress.

"Perfect! I need this in the smallest possible size you have."

I pointed to an ombre-print silk dress. She hurried off and set up a dressing room for me while I looked for Rosalie.

"Rose! I found it! I found it! You have to see it."

I tried it on, and it fit perfectly. Rose nodded appraisingly.

"It is very Alice. I have to hand it to you. The dress does exist."

I made the purchase. Jasper called me, and I told him to come to Neiman's in the city. Rose decided to leave to give us our time. Plus, she knew Jasper would regret agreeing to let me shop for him.

Once he arrived, I started picking through men's shirts.

"Well, now that I know what my dress looks like, I can pick out an outfit for you that coordinates!"

"Uh huh."

He ran a hand through his blond hair leaving it ruffled in its wake. His blue eyes looked around him probably puzzling over his current situation. I grabbed his hand.

"Don't worry. I'll be gentle."

I flashed him a grin, and he smiled back.

"Jasper?!"

At the sound of his name, both of us turned around. There were two girls in the cosmetics section that were now walking over towards us. I suddenly felt Jasper straighten up and stiffen at my side. When they finally reached us, I realized what I was actually staring at. These girls were goddesses, absolutely beautiful. One had lightly tanned olive skin with thick wavy caramel-colored hair. She was petite but curvy in all the right places, a perfect hourglass figure if I ever saw one. The other was blonde and statuesque but not in the same way as Rosalie. She was at least 5'8" and lithe. She had pale ivory skin and long, straight platinum hair. Her deep, deep blue eyes were set on her long, angular face with piercingly sharp cheekbones. She looked like a Scandinavian high fashion supermodel. I suddenly felt incredibly small and inadequate in the presence of these two girls.

"We thought it was you Jasper," the brunette said, her voice husky and laced with sultriness.

"Uh, yeah."

"We haven't seen you in so long," the blonde added.

"Um, I didn't know you guys were back."

"Silly, Charlotte never left. She just started dating Peter, and we never saw her. I'm in town for the week actually, since my dad's job is transferring him back to Evanston. We're looking at houses. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up at Licoln High again second semester."

I cleared my throat.

"Oh yeah, Maria and Charlotte, this is my girlfriend, Alice. Alice, Maria used to go to school with us but moved after sophomore year. Charlotte goes to a neighboring high school. We used to be, uh, friends."

I didn't like the hesitation before friends. It didn't take an idiot to realize there was something going on. Plus, the fact that Maria was eye fucking the shit out of Jasper wasn't helping.

"Well, Alice and I were just finishing up some shopping. We should probably do that."

"Alright. It was nice seeing you Jazzy. When I move back maybe, we can rekindle that _friendship_."

"No fair!" Charlotte pouted.

"I would say you're welcome for old times' sake, but I don't think Peter would be cool with that, sweetie."

"Okay, that's enough. I'll see you guys around. Bye."

With that, Jasper took up my hand and led me out the store.

* * *

an: Here are Alice and Rosalie's dresses:

Alice (I know it's not flattering on the model, but I envision it much cuter on Alice) - .?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446202375&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574492710991&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474399545537&bmUID=1235078429015&ev19=1:6

Rosalie (And I know this dress is from a chapter way back, but I decided to throw it up, too) - .?itemId=prod69560001&parentId=cat10340751&masterId=cat10100736&index=46&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat17740747cat000127cat10100736cat10340751

I realize now they have similar silhouettes. However, Alice's skirt is a bit more full and poofy, which I think suits her.


End file.
